Bryant's daughter Gianna performed for the collective and he worked carefully with its younger players to assist cultivate their abilities. The academy later dropped Mamba from its name following Bryant's demise. His maternal grandfather would ship him videos of American basketball games, which Bryant stated he would watch over and over again. This fostered his love for not solely the game, but also for watching gamers like the Atlanta Hawks' John Battle and the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson, which knowledgeable his skill set and data of basketball.

By the end of the 2005–06 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise information for most 40-point video games and most points scored . He won the league's scoring title for the primary time by averaging 35.4 points per recreation, changing into simply the fifth participant in league history to common a minimal of 35 in a season. Bryant finished in fourth place within the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award but received 22 first place votes—second only to winner Steve Nash. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 till 2016, profitable five NBA Championships and the 2008 Most Valuable Player award whereas making the All-Star group in 18 of his 20 seasons. By his mid-career, Bryant had established himself as one of the best gamers in NBA history, identified for his clutch shooting, succesful defending, work ethic, and longevity.

He additionally determined not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Bryant was initially chosen for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2003 however withdrew after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgeries. In the next summer season, he needed to withdraw from the Olympic team because of his sexual assault case. Along with LeBron James, he was one of many first two gamers to be publicly named to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. However, he was as soon as again sidelined after knee surgical procedure and did not take part within the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Bryant was forced to share the position of the Lakers’ star participant together with his in style and talented teammate Shaquille O’Neal. The two had an uneasy relationship, however they found success beneath the leadership of Phil Jackson, who became coach of the Lakers in 1999. Bryant, a shooting guard, and O’Neal, a centre, meshed into a remarkably efficient combination, and, by the point Bryant was 23, the Lakers had received three consecutive NBA championships. "Even though I play like shit, I've labored really, really onerous not to play like crap and I do every thing I probably can. And I feel good about that", he stated.

Flying again to L.A., he referred to as a information convention at Staples Center and, with tears in his eyes and voice quavering, acknowledged having intercourse with the girl but insisted it was consensual. Bryant took refuge in his relationship with Vanessa, as bodyguards accompanied them to Disneyland and obtained them seats at the native Cineplex after the lights went down. The couple bought a house in the Newport Beach group of Newport Coast, the place they installed his “Star Wars” memorabilia and her Disney collectibles.

Later, on March 6, he seemed to repeat the motion, this time hanging Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jarić. On March 7, the NBA handed Bryant his second one-game suspension. In his first sport again on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retroactively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul.

He won one other gold medal on the 2012 Summer Olympics. He led the Lakers to 2 more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. Bryant and fellow Lakers meet with President Barack Obama in honor of the 2010 championship.Bryant wanted a sixth championship to match Jordan's complete. Bryant additionally recorded his first triple-double since January 21, 2009. On February 1, 2011, Bryant turned one of seven players with no much less than 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists.

In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 factors; the second most factors scored in a single game in league historical past, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. Bryant led the staff to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP on both events. He continued to be among the high players within the league via 2013, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon at age 34. He subsequently suffered season-ending accidents to his knee and shoulder, respectively, in the following two seasons. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season. On January 10, 2012, Bryant scored forty eight points towards the Suns.