The following day, he surpassed Jerry West to turn into the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise historical past. After being sidelined for five video games from an ankle harm, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to offer the Lakers a one-point lead with four seconds remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies. Two weeks later, he made his sixth game-winning shot of the season in opposition to the Toronto Raptors. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant grew to become the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 factors; the second most points scored in a single sport in league history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point sport in 1962.

While taking half in second fiddle to O'Neal within the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances, together with a 25-point, 11-rebound, 7-assist, 4-block sport in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in opposition to the Portland Trail Blazers. In the 2000 Finals, in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after landing on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. In Game 4, Bryant scored 22 points within the second half and led the staff to an OT victory as O'Neal fouled out of the sport.

But I think most would in all probability agree that Bryant and Jordan are each in a league of their very own. "I'm excited to go contained in the constructing, see it, really play the place he performed all these years and did a lot for the town of Los Angeles." It's unimaginable to know precisely how many individuals are named Kobe.

He spent a lot of time on the bench with sporadic time on the court. After teammate Shaquille O’Neal fouled out, Kobe put the group on his again to hold them to the win vs the Pacers in Game four of the 2000 NBA Finals. Following Kobe Bryant's premature passing again in 2020, Pau and his household have remained shut with Vanessa and her youngsters, supporting them in whatever way they can.

With a 116–111 victory in Game 6, the Lakers gained their first championship since 1988. With career averages of 25.0 factors, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.four steals per game, he is thought of one of the most full gamers in NBA historical past. He was the first participant in NBA historical past to have at least 30,000 profession points and 6,000 profession assists, and is one of only 4 gamers with 25,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists. Bryant led the NBA in scoring through the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.His 81-point efficiency towards Toronto in 2006 was the second-highest in NBA historical past, behind only Chamberlain's one hundred. He has scored a minimal of 50 points 24 times in his career, which is third in league historical past behind Jordan and Chamberlain ; six instances Bryant scored no less than 60. He was simply the third participant in NBA historical past to average forty factors in a calendar month, which he has accomplished four occasions.

“I think Kobe was extra like a gymnast, you realize, when he performed, and Mike was more like […] you know a ballet dance as a outcome of you understand what most of the time he plays on his toes. When he does every little thing it’s always like increase growth of a sudden one-two punch,” Rodman added. Bryant had famously travelled by helicopters for years. He routinely flew from Newport Beach, California to Los Angeles Stapes Center in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper when he played for the L.A.

The Lakers started the 2010–11 season by winning their first eight games. In his ninth game of the season, enjoying against the Denver Nuggets, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 26,000 profession factors. Bryant additionally recorded his first triple double since January 21, 2009. On January 30 in opposition to the Celtics, he grew to become the youngest participant to score 27,000 points. On February 1, 2011, Bryant became certainly one of seven gamers with no much less than 25,000 factors, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists. In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 92–86 win over the Celtics.

On January 10, 2012, Bryant scored forty eight points against the Suns, probably the most ever by a player in his sixteenth season. "Not dangerous for the seventh-best participant in the league," mentioned Bryant, referring to a preseason ESPN ranking of the NBA's high players. He went on to attain 40, forty two, and forty two in his next three video games. It was the sixth time in his career he scored forty or more factors in 4 straight video games, a feat exceeded only by Wilt Chamberlain . At the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant scored 27 factors to pass Michael Jordan because the career scoring chief within the All-Star Game.