A Los Angeles boy through and through, Kobe Bryant not only made his name at the Lakers but when his 20-year career ended, he signed off as a legend.
Celebrating his 38th birthday today, Bryant goes down as one of NBA’s greatest players, boasting an impressive CV with a number of individual and team accolades. As a five-time NBA champion as well as claiming the Finals MVP twice, Bryant possessed extraordinary talent on court despite overcoming a number of injuries.
An 18-time All Star, he ranks third on the league’s all-time regular season scoring (33,643 points) and all-time postseason scoring lists (5,640).
On the international stage, he played an important role for Team USA, claiming gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas.
Sports star who were also born on this day:
1961: Gary Mabbutt, ex-England and Tottenham Hotspur defender. (55)
1972: Mark Butcher, former English Test cricketer, who played for Surrey. (44)
1984: Glen Johnson, ex-England right-back who plays for Stoke City. (32)
1988: Jeremy Lin, American basketball point guard for the Brooklyn Nets. (28)
