O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The following day, Bryant declined an offer to signal with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers on a seven-year contract. The announcement drew a robust response, significantly from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is certainly one of the best players in the historical past of our recreation," Silver mentioned in a statement. "Whether competing in the finals or hoisting bounce photographs after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game." Former pro basketball participant Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers whereas establishing himself as one of many sport's all-time greats.

When the Lakers confronted the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by participating in handshakes and hugs before the game, signifying a change within the feud that had festered between them. A month later, on the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two have been seen laughing collectively. In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to level out extra of his abilities as a gifted younger guard. As a outcome, Bryant's point averages greater than doubled from 7.6 to 15.4 factors per sport.

Brown is in Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bufkin is getting into his rookie year with the Atlanta Hawks. Both had been named for Bryant, who — for now — is the one player named Kobe to make it to the NBA.

In a transfer to improve the staff's protection, D'Antoni started having Bryant guard the opponent's greatest perimeter participant; Bryant was the primary defender on the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving, who was held to 15 points. Bryant acknowledged he was a more focused defender when he had a difficult defensive task versus when he played off the ball against weaker players. His protection disrupted opponents and freed Nash from unfavorable matchups. After starting the season 1–4, coach Brown was fired.

“In our recreation, nobody had extra impact,” Diggins-Smith says. Each female player noticed in him the title of his book, The Mamba Mentality. Last season he played he started the ultimate six video games for an injured Tanner Morgan, tossing three touchdowns and 946 yards passing and main the Gophers to a second straight win over Wisconsin to retain the Paul Bunyan Axe. This is the fourth time Bryant has been on the quilt of the game, together with when he was featured on the quilt of NBA 2K21, which was released simply months after his death in January 2020.

Bryant scored 42 points because the Lakers tied the series at 2-2. By the top of his 20-year profession — all of it spent with the Lakers — Bryant was a five-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. staff and 18-time All-Star. He ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list; he was surpassed just this weekend by Laker star LeBron James.

In the playoffs, Ryan and the Titans traveled to New England, the place Ryan had won two Super Bowls with the Patriots. He intercepted Tom Brady’s final cross as a New England Patriot and returned it for a landing, eliminating the Patriots from the playoffs and ending the Brady period in Foxborough. It’s fairly the profession for a third-rounder picked in 2013—especially one who says he isn’t a naturally assured individual. For athletes used to locker-room camaraderie and teamwork, rehab is lonely. “I just feel like I’m letting different folks down,” Ryan said about being injured.

Bryant is certainly one of the most achieved gamers in NBA history, successful 5 championships throughout his 20-year career with the Lakers. The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee was additionally an 18-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA honoree, a 12-time All-Defensive honoree, a four-time All-Star Game MVP, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, and a two-time scoring champion and one-time MVP. He completed his career with 33,643 factors, which ranks fourth in NBA historical past. Bryant's affiliation with the NBA 2K online game series dates back to his first appearance on the cover of NBA 2K10. Since then, he has been featured multiple occasions, together with because the special version athlete cover for NBA 2K17. In a poignant tribute to his life and legacy following his dying in January 2020, the Mamba Forever version was released for NBA 2K21.