“The Tainted Record” He has it all: fame, fortune and fans. Kobe Bryant has everything and anything a living person could want, and as a former NBA champion, he arguably even has more athleticism than most people. However, even through his NBA championships and MVP awards, many people tend to look at Kobe in a very negative way; almost despises the star for a single occurrence. This may sound harsh, but there is indeed a logical explanation for this seemingly pessimistic attention that Kobe always attracts. In 2003, a sexual assault complaint was filed against Kobe, which would forever affect his image ("Bryant, Kobe" 4). Therefore, despite being an extremely talented athlete, Kobe Bryant has a negative influence on aspiring basketball players. Although this negative attention occurred during his NBA career, Bryant actually had many NBA accomplishments before this accident. First, at just 17 years old ("Kobe Bryant" 1), Kobe managed to become the second youngest player to enter the professional league in NBA history, being the 13th overall pick in the 1996 draft ( “Bryant, Kobe” 1). In mid-1996, Kobe was traded to his current team, the NBA Lakers, where he gained both fame and infamy ("Kobe Bryant" 1). Additionally, Bryant made the All-Star team in his second season in the league, becoming the youngest player to make the All-Time team ("Bryant, Kobe" 1) at just 19 years old (Kobe at 30 - Oh, how the years go by 2). Surprisingly, these achievements won't be the only ones he gets. By 2003, Bryant had already won 3 NBA titles ("Bryant, Kobe" 1), winning three titles in a row from 2000 to 2002 (K...... middle of paper ......e Bryant's success, he is unfortunately a negative role model for aspiring basketball players However, he has it all Kobe Bryant is still and always will be an NBA legend. He has and still has countless fans and possesses a skill level that. very few people could match However, despite all these feats he accomplished and all the money he managed to earn, his sexual assault case in 2003 taints this famous star's record no matter how. This is observed, Kobe Bryant has been lastingly affected, which in turn has affected many fans' views of the star. And although he has made a definitive comeback, his past actions have not and will not. never forgotten. No matter what he does in the future, the assault case will always be there. Therefore, because of this, Kobe Bryant's image, no matter how hard he tries, will be damaged or tainted. forever..