Bryant grew to become the oldest participant to score 60 or extra points in a sport at 37 years and 234 days old. At the time of his announcement, he was second on the group in minutes (30.8) behind Jordan Clarkson and leading the team with 16.7 subject aim makes an attempt per recreation, while averaging simply 15.7 factors and capturing a career-low 31.5 percent. In his press conference after the announcement, he acknowledged his declining abilities. "Even although I play like shit, I’ve worked actually, actually exhausting to not play like crap and I do every little thing I probably can. And I be ok with that", he said.

Bryant's varsity coach, Greg Downer, commented that he was "a whole player who dominates" and praised his work ethic, even because the staff's top player. In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy to her Hollywood High senior prom. Ultimately, the 17-year-old Bryant decided to go immediately into the NBA, changing into solely the sixth player in NBA history to do so. Bryant's information was met with plenty of publicity at a time when prep-to-pro NBA gamers were not very common . His basketball expertise and SAT score of 1080 would have ensured admission to any school he selected, but he didn't officially visit any campuses. In 2012, Bryant was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans for his high-school play in addition to his later accomplishments.

In that same month, Bryant also turned the primary player since 1964 to attain forty five points or extra in four consecutive video games, joining Chamberlain and Baylor as the one gamers to do so. For the month of January, Bryant averaged forty three.four points per sport, the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA historical past and highest for any player aside from Chamberlain. By the tip of the 2005–06 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise data for many 40-point games and most points scored . He received the league's scoring title for the first time by averaging 35.four factors per sport, turning into simply the fifth participant in league history to common no less than 35 in a season.

His legacy is littered with the corpses of slackers who couldn't match his dedication, notably underachievers of bizarre size . It has become well-liked to counsel that his ego—and his two-year, $48.5 million contract—are now actively hurting the franchise. The perception has become so common that ESPN The Magazine printed a story suggesting the Lakers cannot signal top-flight free brokers so lengthy as Bryant controls the system. Most of the story’s sources had been anonymous and Bryant claims he didn’t read the article.

On November 24, 2015, the Lakers fell to 2–12 after losing 111–77 to the Warriors. Bryant scored simply 4 points in 25 minutes on 1-for-14 shooting, matching the worst-shooting sport of his profession by which he attempted a minimum of 5 pictures. On December 1, 2015, Bryant played his last recreation towards his hometown group, the Philadelphia 76ers, the place the Lakers lost 103–91. In the 2001–02 season, Bryant performed eighty video games for the primary time in his profession. On January 14, 2002, Bryant recorded a then career-high fifty six points to go together with five rebounds and four assists in a 120–81 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies. He continued his all-round play by averaging 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per recreation.

Jackson utilized the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, which would assist each Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the NBA. The three ensuing championships gained consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002 further proved such a truth. Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise historical past.

Even at an early stage of his career, sportswriters had been comparing his expertise to these of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. The playoff results, however, had been no better, because the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs within the Western Conference Semifinals. Fitting in is a challenge that I’ve never been in a position to grasp. I was a tall, skinny 13-year-old kid who spoke Italian higher than English. I knew very little of American tradition and other people knew me solely as “the son of a former NBA player.” During this time, the game of basketball turned greater than solely a refuge, it became my outlet.

In 1999, Bryant appeared on a remix of "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child on the Maxi single model of the song. Bryant admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter together with his accuser but denied her sexual assault allegation. However, Bryant's lawyers asked the public sale home to return the items. Before the scheduled trial, a settlement was reached allowing the public sale home the sale of lower than 10% of the objects. They married on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California.