Born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bryant's father, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, played eight seasons in the NBA and the family traveled between Italy and Philadelphia to support his career. The young Bryant learned to play basketball at an early age and attended Lower Merion High School, where he led his team to the state championships and was named High School Player of the Year in 1996. .
After high school, Bryant trained with the Philadelphia 76ers, and was the 13th pick in the First Round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte then traded Bryant's signing rights to the Los Angeles Lakers for seven-year veteran center Vlade Divac. .
Bryant made his NBA debut with the Lakers in 1996, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game. That year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 1998, he became the youngest All-Star in NBA history and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Second Team the following year. .
The young guard was unstoppable, helping the Lakers win three consecutive NBA championships: in 2000 against the Indiana Pacers, in 2001 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and in 2002 against the New Jersey Nets. Bryant was also named MVP at the NBA All-Star game in 2002. .
Though Bryant was at the top of his game and had secured an ever-increasing number of lucrative endorsements, 2003 would prove to be a definitive year for the star athlete. After suffering a shoulder injury, he was forced to relinquish his spot on the U.S. Olympic qualifying team. And in July, he was charged with sexual assaulting a 19-year-old hotel worker while staying at a Colorado mountain resort. The case has not yet gone to trial. .
In May 2000, Kobe became engaged to Vanessa Laine, a senior at Marina High School. Though the engagement caused a rift between Bryant and his parents, the couple wed in April 2001 in a private ceremony in Dana Point, California.