Kobe Bryant

Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets out of high school in 1996, and was traded on Thursday, July 11th, 1996, to the Los Angales Lakers for taller guard, Vlade Divac.

Drafted out of Lower Merion High School as the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte then traded Bryant's signing rights to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac (26 June 1996).

Made his debut at 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old, the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game (3 November 1996)

Signs first pro contract. (27 July 1996)

The Charlotte Hornets traded him in 1996 to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac. Divac who at the time was already in the league for 7 years, has remained a 2nd rate journeyman center in the NBA. Bryant has become a Hall of Fame guard and is often compared to Michael Jordan.

Won the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Competition.

NBA All-Star 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002.

The youngest player to appear in an NBA All-Star game. (1998)

Led the Los Angeles Lakers to three NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Won the 2001 and 2002 Teens Choice Award for favorite male athlete.

Was named MVP of the 2002 NBA All-Star Game.

His wife changed her name from Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta Laine to Vanessa Marie Bryant (29 May 2002).

January 19, 2003 welcomed first child daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant. The baby weighed 6lbs 14oz.

On 22 January 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest single-game scoring output by a player in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100 points on 2 March 1962. Bryant achieved his feat by converting 28 of 46 field goals (including 7 of 13 3-pointers), and making 18 of 20 free throws.

Wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, gave birth to their second child, daughter Gianna Maria-Onore on May 1st, 2006 at 2:30 am, weighing in at 6 lbs, 7 oz.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his salary for the year to be $33 million.

Won three NBA championships, was voted league MVP, and won an Olympic gold medal all by the time he was 30 years old. (In fact, the day he and the U.S. Basketball team won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China was his 30th birthday.).

In November 2009, he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Los Angeles Lakers' all-time scorers list, putting him in second place behind only Jerry West.