Kobe Bryant Net Worth, Personal Life and Basketball Career

Kobe Bryant is an American professional basketball player, philanthropist, producer and entrepreneur. He played shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-year career.

He is regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time, won five NBA titles, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, the 2008 NBA MVP, and the MVP of the NBA Finals twice.

He is ranked fourth in league scoring totals for the regular and postseason. In 2020, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame through a posthumous ballot, and in 2021, he was included in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Explore early life, professional career, and Kobe Bryant net worth and awards.

Kobe Bryant Net Worth

Kobe Bryant’s net worth is estimated to be $600 million. At the time of his passing, his $200 million stock share in the beverage Body Armour was valued at $6 million. Six years ago, he paid $6 million for the stock. In October 2021, Coca-Cola spent $5.6 billion to purchase all of Body Armour's shares.

As mentioned a minute ago, Kobe Bryant's net worth was $600 million at the time of his passing. Included in that figure was his $200 million pre-tax investment in Body Armour. The Bryant estate held just 5% of Body Armour when Coca-Cola bought the company outright in October 2021 for $8 billion. Therefore, this purchase brought in $400 million for his estate before taxes, which came to about $270 million after taxes.

Biography and Personal Life

He sealed the knot with Vanessa Laine, 17, in November 1999. When they first got together, she was working as a background dancer for a music video. At the same time, he was working on his first musical album in the studio. After just six months of meeting, they were engaged. She was still a high school senior.

On April 18, 2001, Kobe and Vanessa tied the knot in Dana Point, California. According to reports, Bryant's parents disapproved of the relationship; thus, they did not attend the wedding. On January 19, 2003, they received Natalia Diamante Bryant as their first child, and on May 1, 2006, they welcomed Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant as their second. In the end, they had four children in all, all girls. Bianka and Capri are the names of their other daughters.

After 10.5 years of marriage, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce on December 16, 2011. Without a written prenup, Vanessa's divorce settlement might have cost him between $100 and $150 million. In the end, they made up.

Early Life

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 1978. His father, Joe Bryant, was a former Philadelphia 76ers player. His parents named him Kobe after the well-known meat from Kobe, Japan, that they had seen on a restaurant menu.

Joe moved the family to Italy when Kobe was six years old. After retiring from the NBA, Kobe continued to play in a European league, picking up skills in Italian. As a preteen, he would spend the summers returning to the United States to play in summer basketball leagues. Following his complete playing retirement, Joe's family moved to Philadelphia, where he enrolled at Lower Merion High School.

He was a standout basketball player in high school, helping the team win its first state title in fifty-three years. He was quickly selected as the first-team member of USA Today's All-USA team and Gatorade's Men's National Basketball Player of the Year. Although Kobe might have received scholarships from several institutions for his outstanding SAT score, he decided to continue his career in sports instead. Kobe is the youngest player ever to be selected in the NBA Draft.

Professional career

1996 NBA draft

When he worked out in Los Angeles before the 1996 NBA draft, he scrimmaged against Michael Cooper and Larry Drew, two former Lakers players, and, in the words of then-general manager Jerry West, "marched over these people."

Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2016)

• Adjusting to the NBA (1996–1999)

In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Bryant made his Summer Pro League debut at Long Beach, California, scoring 25 points. It was difficult for defenders to get past him, and West and Lakers coach Del Harris was impressed by his play. He ended with averages of 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in four games, including 36 points in the game's deciding battle.

• Three-peat (1999–2002)

Bryant's situation changed in 1999 when Phil Jackson became the Lakers' head coach. After years of continuous development, he became one of the league's best shooting guards, being selected to the All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams.

• Coming up short (2002–2004)

In an 87-82 loss to the visiting Spurs in the opening game of the 2002–03 season, he finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. In a 108-93 victory over the Clippers on November 1, he had a triple-double with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Player Profile

He was a shooting guard most of the time. His measurements were 212 pounds, 96 kg, and 6 feet 6 inches 1.98 m. Bryant frequently came up as one of the NBA's most dangerous scorers. He based his playing style on Michael Jordan, and the two have been greatly compared.

Similar to Jordan, Bryant's signature jump shot became a fall-away one. Another of Bryant's most well-known moves is the "jab step-and-pause" by Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated. In this move, Bryant jabs his non-pivot foot forward to loosen up the defense, but instead of bringing it back, he pushes off of it and drives around the defender to the basket.

Film and Television

In 1996, he made his screen debut in a Moesha episode. Earlier in the year, he got to know the show's star, Brandy, during a Nike All-Star basketball game. A few months later, in May 1996, he took Brandy to her senior prom at Hollywood High School. Kobe Dion’s Work, a 2009 documentary directed by Spike Lee, followed Bryant during the 2007–08 NBA season.

Philanthropy

He served as the official representative of After-School All-Stars ASAS, a 13-city network of comprehensive after-school activities for children run by a non-profit American organization. In addition, he established the Kobe Bryant China Fund, working with the Chinese government-backed Soong Ching Ling Foundation.

Books

Bryant's book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play was released by MCD / Farrar, Straus, and Giroux on October 23, 2018. It has images and an afterword by Andrew D. Bernstein, Phil Jackson's introduction, and Pau Gasol's foreword. The book features his knowledge together with images of his career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Kobe current worth?
In a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, as well as seven other passengers killed. At the time of his passing, his estimated net worth was $600 million.

Q. To what extent did Kobe win MvPs?
At 36 years and 346 days old, he is also the oldest MVP in history. Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant received the trophy four times in his career, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. 2020 the prize was renamed in his honor after he passed away.

Q. Why does Kobe cost so much?
Thanks to the stringent grading system, only the best meat is designated as Kobe, which raises demand and restricts supply. Traditional methods of raising and processing these animals are labor-intensive and time-consuming, driving up the cost.