Jan 31 2008
Race To MVP
Kobe Bryant

Bryant is a shooting guard who is capable of playing the small forward position. He is considered one of the most complete players in NBA history, has been elected to every All-NBA Team since 1999, and has been featured in the last ten NBA All-Star games. He is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.0 points per game for his career, along with 4.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He is known for his ability to create shots for himself, and is an adept outside shooter, sharing the single-game NBA record for three pointers made with twelve. He has exceptional ball handling skills and utilizes his speed and athletic ability to elude defenders to finish at the basket.

Aside from this, he is also a standout defender, having made the All-Defensive first and second team eight of the last nine seasons. On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high 65 points in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game losing streak. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points in a 122–104 victory against the Toronto Raptors. In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor, his point total in that game was the second highest in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.
Bryant was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996. However, according to Arn Tellem, Bryant's agent at the time, Bryant playing for the Charlotte Hornets was “an impossibility" Nevertheless, the Charlotte Hornets selected Bryant, seeing that there was a chance to trade with the Lakers. On July 1, 1996, then L.A. General Manager Jerry West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac, to the Hornets in exchange for Bryant's draft rights.
During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Initially, Bryant played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. 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, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. Bryant 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. The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's emergence as starting guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones were traded. The results, however, were no better, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999. After years of steady improvement, Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league, earning several presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became premier championship contenders under Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who formed an outstanding center-guard combination. Jackson utilized the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, which would help both Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the NBA. The three resulting championships won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002 further proved such a fact.