How Long Was Kobe In the NBA?

Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Kobe Bryant’s NBA Career

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers. He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers.

Drafted into the NBA

Kobe Bryant was drafted into the NBA out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would spend his entire 20-year career.

Traded to the Lakers

In 1996, Kobe was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, but he was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe became the youngest player in NBA history at the time, starting at just 18 years old. He went on to play 20 seasons with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships. Kobe retired from the NBA in 2016.

Retirement

Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships. He announced his retirement from the sport in November 2015, writing a farewell letter to basketball that was published in The Players’ Tribune.

“Dear Basketball,” he began. “I played through the sweat and hurt because that’s what you do. I did it for you. I did it for Laker Nation.”

Bryant’s announcement came as a surprise to many, as he had signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers only months earlier. However, injuries had limited him to just six games during the 2015-16 season, and it was clear that he was no longer able to compete at the same level as he had in his prime.

“This season is all I have left to give,” he wrote in his retirement letter. “My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”

Bryant left the game as one of its greatest players, finishing his career third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 33,643 points. He was also a 18-time All-Star and a 12-time member of the All-NBA team.

Kobe’s Legacy

Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers for his entire 20-year career. Kobe was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He was also the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. Kobe was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

MVPs

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. At 34 years and 104 days old, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history on February 1, 2010, when he surpassed Jerry West. During his career with Los Angeles, Bryant won two Olympic gold medals as a member of Team USA in 2008 and 2012.

Bryant’s preeminent individual achievement came in 2006–07 when he averaged a league-leading 35.4 points per game en route to his lone Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. In addition to his individual accomplishments, Bryant helped lead the Lakers to 15 NBA Finals appearances, winning five championships between 2000 and 2010.

Championships

Over his storied 20-year career, Bryant won 5 NBA championships, all with the Lakers. He was named Finals MVP on 2 occasions (2009 and 2010), and was also named regular season MVP in 2008. In addition to his playoff accolades, Kobe was also a 15-time All-Star, and was named to the All-Star team 18 times.

All-Star appearances

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he led the league in scoring during two seasons, ranks fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists, and holds numerous NBA records.

How Long Was Kobe In the NBA?

Kobe Bryant played professional basketball for twenty years, from 1996 to 2016. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers his entire career. In that time, he won five NBA championships and was named to the All-Star team eighteen times.

20 seasons

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his entire 20-season career with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships.

2,832 games

Kobe Bryant played in 2,832 regular season games in his 20-year NBA career. He also played in 240 playoff games, which is the second-most in NBA history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.