2003, Before the season began, Bryant was arrested for sexual assault. This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later in same day.
Rivals in 20 Years
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school, and has played for the Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA championships. Bryant is a 17-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He has led the league in scoring twice, and he ranks third on both the league's all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists.
Difficult Times
2003, Before the season began, Bryant was arrested for sexual assault. This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later in same day.
2004 final game, Lakers were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990 In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game and 4.4 assists. He shot 35.1% from the field.
2005, Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The following day, Bryant declined an offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers on a seven-year contract.
2006-2007 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns twice;
2013, With the Lakers fighting to secure the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, Bryant began playing almost all 48 minutes each game. On April 12, Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors, ending his season.
He declared his eligibility for the NBA draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
