Kobe

Early life
Kobe Bryant is the youngest child and only son of Joe and Pam Bryant. His parents named him after a kind of steak: the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. At the age of six, Kobe, his parents and two older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, moved to Italy, where his father began playing professional basketball. He became accustomed to the lifestyle and became fluent in Italian. At an early age, he learned to play soccer and his favorite team was AC Milan. Bryant once said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have stuck with soccer and would have tried to become a pro soccer player. In 1991, the Bryants moved back to the United States. A spectacular high school career at Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, brought national recognition. While his SAT score of 1080[2] would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges, the 17-year-old Bryant made the controversial decision to go directly to the NBA.
Early NBA career ,1996 Draft
Even before he was chosen as the 13th draft pick overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw the potential in Bryant's basketball talent during pre-draft workouts. West stated that Bryant's workout was one of the best he had ever witnessed. West continued his quest to return the Lakers to championship status and startled spectators by offering and completing the trade for starting center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for Bryant.
Growing pains
During his first season with the Lakers, he mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Bryant played limited minutes initially but this changed as the season continued. He earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan-favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. In Bryant's second season (1997-98), he received more playing time and began showing more of his abilities as a talented young guard. He was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter. While his statistics were impressive for his age, he was still a young guard who lacked the experience to complement Shaquille O'Neal and significantly help the team contend for a championship.
Championship years
However, Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After years of steady improvement, Bryant had become one of the premier shooting guards in the league, a fact that was evidenced by his annual presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became perennial championship contenders under Bryant and O'Neal, who formed an outstanding center-guard combination. Their success gave the Lakers three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.