Kobe Bryant timeline: A look at the life of the Lakers legend

A look at the life of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who was among nine people to die in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday. The five-time NBA champ won two Olympic gold medals, had an 81-point game and won an Academy Award.

A look at the life of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who was among nine people to die in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday.

PERSONAL

Born: Aug. 23, 1978, in Philadelphia

Birth name: Kobe Bean Bryant

Father: Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers as well as in Europe.

Mother: Pam Bryant

Marriage: Vanessa (Laine) Bryant (April 18, 2001-present)

Children: Natalia, January 2003; Gianna “Gigi”, May 2006; Bianka, December 2016; Capri, June 2019

TIMELINE

1996 – Bryant finishes his high school career as the all-time leading scorer in the history of southeastern Pennsylvania basketball. He leads the Lower Merion Aces to a record of 31-3 and the Class-AAAA state championship. USA Today names him the National High School Player of the Year and he wins the Naismith Player of the Year.

June 26, 1996 – Bryant, 17, is selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th pick in the first round of the NBA draft. The Hornets agree to trade his draft rights to the Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac.

1996-1997 – Bryant becomes the youngest player in NBA history as he begins his pro career at 18 years, 2 months and 11 days. He is named to the NBA All-Rookie second team after averaging 7.6 points in 15.5 minutes per game off the bench.

February 1997 – He wins the All-Star Weekend slam dunk competition, but he does not play in the All-Star Game.

1998 – At 19, he becomes the youngest starter ever in his first NBA All-Star Game.

1999-2000 – With Phil Jackson as his coach, and Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal as his teammate, Bryant wins his first NBA title as the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers in six games.

2000-01 – Bryant averages 28.5 points for the season and O’Neal averages 28.7 as the Lakers storm to their second straight NBA title, going 15-1 in the postseason and beating the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Finals.

Feb. 2002 – He is named All-Star Game MVP for the first time. He also won the honor in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

2001-02 – The Lakers win their third consecutive NBA title, sweeping the New Jersey Nets 4-0 in the Finals.

July 18, 2003 – Bryant is charged with one count of sexual assault in a case involving a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado. The charge accuses Bryant of “sexual penetration or intrusion and (that) he caused submission of the victim through actual physical force,” according to Eagle County (Colo.) District Attorney Mark Hurlbert.

Jan. 19, 2004 – McDonald’s announces that it will not renew Bryant’s endorsement contract, which expired in December 2003.

2003-04 – Bryant leads the Lakers in scoring (24 ppg), on occasion flying back to Los Angeles for games after court appearances in Colorado on the same day.

June 2004 – Playing in their fourth Finals in five years, the last Kobe-Shaq Lakers team loses to Detroit in five games. That summer O’Neal is traded to Miami and Bryant, a free agent, considers signing with the Clippers but ultimately returns to the Lakers after agreeing to a seven-year, $136-million contract.

Aug. 10, 2004 – The same woman from the criminal court case files a lawsuit in federal court in Denver. The woman, under the name of “Jane Doe,” accuses Bryant of raping her in his hotel room in a Vail-area resort in 2003 – the same incident alleged in the criminal charge against him. The suit is for an unspecified amount of damages.

Sept. 1, 2004 – The criminal sexual assault charge is dropped.

Jan. 22, 2006 – Bryant scores 81 points in the Lakers’ 122-104 victory over Toronto. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 tops this performance. … Bryant leads the league in scoring (35.4 ppg) as Phil Jackson returns to coach the team. The Lakers lose a first-round playoff series to the Phoenix Suns.

March 2, 2005 – The accuser agrees to settle her civil lawsuit. The terms of the settlement have never been disclosed.

2006-07 – Bryant wins another scoring title (31.6 ppg), but the Lakers suffer another first-round playoff loss to the Suns. Not long after that, Bryant, frustrated by management, says he wants to be traded. Owner Jerry Buss considers trading Bryant but doesn’t.

2007-08 – A midseason trade for Pau Gasol turns the Lakers into a title contender. Bryant wins his only regular-season MVP award after averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Lakers reach the Finals but lose to Boston in six games.

Aug. 24, 2008 – Bryant wins a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team.

June 14, 2009 – Bryant wins his fourth NBA title and is named the Finals MVP as the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic in five games.

Feb. 1, 2010 – Kobe surpasses Jerry West’s franchise record of 25,192 points scored as a Laker.

June 17, 2010 – Bryant wins his fifth NBA title and is named the Finals MVP as the Lakers beat the Celtics in seven games. He signs a three-year, $84-million contract extension to remain with the team through the 2013-14 season.

April 13, 2011 – Bryant is fined $100,000 by the NBA for making an anti-gay slur at a referee during a game on April 12.

Dec. 16, 2011 – Vanessa Bryant files for divorce.

Aug, 12, 2012 – Bryant wins his second Olympic gold medale as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2012 Games in London.

Jan. 11, 2013 – Kobe announces on Facebook he and Vanessa have reconciled.

2012-13 – Bryant makes his 15th All-Star team during a season in which he passes Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He averages 27.3 points in 38.6 minutes per game for the season before rupturing his left Achilles’ tendon in an April 12, 2013 game against the Golden State Warriors. Successful surgery to repair the injury will leave him unable to play for six to nine months.

May 8, 2013 – Files a lawsuit to stop his mother, Pamela Bryant, from auctioning off memorabilia from the beginning of his basketball career. Bryant says he did not give his mother permission to sell the items. A settlement is reached in June.

November 2013 – Bryant, 35 and still recovering from what for many athletes is a career-ending injury, signs a two-year contract extension worth $48.5 million that runs through the 2015-16 season.

December 8, 2013 – Bryant returns from his Achilles injury.

December 17, 2013 – Bryant breaks a bone in his left knee in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies and will be out for six weeks.

March 12, 2014 – The Lakers announce that Bryant will not play the rest of the season after team doctors determine the fractured lateral tibial plateau of his left knee has not healed.

March 23, 2014 – Bryant launches Kobe Inc. He also announces the company’s first investment is a 10% stake in the sports drink BodyArmor.

Oct. 28, 2014 – Bryant plays for the first time since December 2013, in the regular-season opener.

Dec. 14, 2014 – Bryant surpasses Michael Jordan to become third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, with 32,310 career points.

Jan. 28, 2015 – Undergoes surgery to repair his torn right rotator cuff and is expected to be out nine months.

Oct. 4, 2015 – Makes his return in a preseason game against the Utah Jazz after undergoing season-ending surgery in January.

Nov. 29, 2015 – In a post on The Players’ Tribune, announces he intends to retire at the end of the NBA season.

February 2016 – Bryant announces the launch of Granity Studios (formerly known as Kobe Studios), a multimedia original content company.

April 13, 2016 – He scores 60 points in his final game, helping the Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz 101-96.

Dec. 18, 2017 – The Lakers retire both of Bryant’s jersey numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, during a halftime ceremony.

March 4, 2018 – Bryant wins an Academy Award for best animated short film for “Dear Basketball.”

March 2019 – Bryant adds new lines to his resume – publisher and author – with the first volume of a children’s fantasy book series, The Wizenards, published through his multimedia content company Granity Studios. The books target young athletes with tales containing athletic characters and themes exploring the particular challenges athletes face.

Jan. 26, 2020 – Kobe, 41, is among nine people who die in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. One of his daughters, 13-year-old Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, was among those to perish in the crash as well.