Kobe Bryant: The Black Mamba Sports influences many people all over the world, whether they play sports, watch sports, or even both. People can also be influenced by professional athletes. These same athletes may have done bad things in their professional careers and/or personal lives, but fans still look up to them. A great example of an athlete like this is Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant, professional basketball player. He is well known for his actions on and off the field. Even though Kobe may not have done great things, he is still a very respected and admirable basketball player.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Now, who is Kobe Bryant? Well, Kobe was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is originally from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. At one point in Kobe's life, he lived with his older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, in Italy. Kobe Bryant nicknamed himself "Black Mamba" after watching the movie Kill Bill. He was originally drafted in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets (now known as the New Orleans Pelicans), then was traded on draft day to the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for this organization for his entire professional career, which lasted 18 years. He went to the NBA (National Basketball Association) right out of high school. "In his second season as a guard, with the Lakers, Bryant was elected starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming at 19 the youngest All-Star in NBA history" (Biography) . According to Biography, “Kobe Bryant is an NBA athlete who is one of the leading players in career points, having won several championship rings. He also won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. basketball team. Kobe won a total of 5 NBA championships. “Kobe Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant” (Biography). In high school, Kobe led his team to state championships four years in a row. As his goal was to be able to play in the NBA, he began training with the Philadelphia 76ers. All the hard work that Kobe Bryant has done and continues to do has paid off and perhaps that is one of the reasons why fans look up to him. Kobe Bryant is known for being one of the hardest-working players to ever play in the NBA. Nine years ago (January 22, 2006), Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors. This feat places Kobe's points scored in a game as the second highest points scored in a game behind famous player Wilt Chamberlin with 100 points. Kobe also knows what it takes to be an NBA champion, with five championship rings under his belt. In “Champion of the World” by the famous poet Maya Angelou, she states “that he was the strongest man in the world,” referring to the famous boxer Joe Louis (394). This quote relates to Kobe Bryant as he is considered one of the greatest scorers of all time, with a career total of 32,484 points, placing him third among all scorers. He recently passed Michael Jordan on this list. With hard work and dedication, people can achieve anything they want in life. Another thing that makes Kobe Bryant such an inspiring player is that he plays through injury. He had a damaged finger that left little to no cartilage for a season and even competed in the Olympics that year as well. Although people admire and respect Kobe Bryant as a player, he did some things that put him under a.