Kobe Bryant logged more than 1,500 games with the Lakers in his 20 seasons and he played for eight head coaches —some for only a few months, one for more than a decade. The Times asked each of them to offer their thoughts on Bryant and his impact on the NBA.
DEL HARRIS, 1996-99
Harris was the coach when Bryant, 18, arrived for his rookie season in 1996-97. Harris had a talented team and Bryant was a reserve player his first two seasons. Harris, now the vice president of the Texas Legends in the NBA’s Development League, vividly recalls Bryant’s arrival.
“He was bright and precocious, both in an athletic sense and intellectually and mentally. But he was basically a teenager in a teenager’s body,” Harris said. “He obviously wanted to play, but was 18 and Eddie Jones was an All-Star and Rick Fox [next season] was one of the centerpieces of our defense on the front line and he was a very physical player. Kobe at that point didn’t have the body to play the three [small forward] position for the most part. And of course we had Robert Horry, Elden Campbell and Jerome Kersey and Byron Scott. So we had a good team.
“Kobe had a rough start. … He went down to Venice Beach and got engaged in a dirt battle out there and broke his wrist. He was not able to do training camp. His first real NBA basketball was live action in early November sometime. I know he obviously wanted to play, and he did, but with that slow start, that really made it tough on him. I had to figure out how I was going to deal with him because I knew it would be difficult. I had told him he had elected to leave the kid’s game behind and get into the men’s game right away and I was going to treat him as a man, therefore...
“As the season went along, he just kept getting better and better. By the end of the year, he was central to the rotation. He was a key player.
“Even the next year, when he was our solid sixth man, he could have been sixth man of the year. ... Of course he made the All-Star team that year by vote. He was a sub on our team and a starter on the All-Star team, which didn’t help my position with him or his family or his fans. I’m sure I was the bad guy at the time.…
“There was one story when we were about start practice and he says, ‘Coach, if you could get Shaq [O’Neal] to move out of that low post, I could go one-on-one. I could beat anybody in this league one-on-one,’” Harris recalls with a laugh. “I said, ‘Kobe, you’re right. I know you can do that. But two things. No. 1: I’m not going to move Shaq out of there at this point. No. 2: Your day will come when that will happen. But right now is not the day. You can beat everybody one-on-one, but you can’t do it at a high enough rate for the kind of team that we have. Your day will come. It just isn’t now.’ ”
KURT RAMBIS, 1999
Rambis coached Bryant for most of the 1998-99 season after Harris was fired. Later, Rambis was an assistant coach with the Lakers under Phil Jackson for seven years.
“We all to some degree throw around the word ‘great’ when we’re describing players, but he is truly one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” said Rambis, now the New York Knicks’ interim coach. “You kind of admire his work ethic, his commitment to the game, his commitment to the team, the city, ability to win championships and dominate games. He’s one those rare, rare players that comes along once in a lifetime.”
One quality stood out to Rambis: “Probably the thing that will stick out most in my mind is when he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon [in 2013] and walked up to the free-throw line and was still able to walk off the court. That’s who he is as a committed athlete. You don’t find too many guys that would be able to sustain that sort of pain.”
PHIL JACKSON, 1999-2004; 2005-11
Jackson was the only coach to lead Michael Jordan and Bryant to NBA championships.
“He passed Michael [Jordan], which is unbelievable in itself,” Jackson said of Bryant’s career point total. “He’s the highest-scoring guard that ever played the game. The greatest-scoring guard. That’s his legacy.
“His streaks were so impressive that it was remarkable he could get and stay hot. He could get going and be an incredible force in the ballgame and have these moments of brilliance where he could just go off and have a 40-point ballgame.”
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Kobe Bryant signs the court late into the night at the Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant kisses his wife Vanessa long after his last game at the Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant leaves the court for the last time as a Laker, heading to the locker room after scoring 60 points and leading the team to a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz.
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Kobe Bryant is all smiles after his final game at Staples Center Wednesday.
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Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with former teammate Derek Fisher on the court after scoring 60 points in his last game as a Laker at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant greets Lamar Odom after his final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant kisses his wife Vanessa after his final game.
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Kobe Bryant walks off the court after his final game at Staples Center.
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Lakers Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd at the end of the game.
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Kobe Bryant waves to the crowd as he walks off the court for the last time at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers Kobe Bryant pauses for a moment as confetti streams down following his last game at the Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd at the end of his final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant feels the love of the fans at Staples Center following his final game.
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Lakers Kobe Bryant and A.C. Green after his final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant thanks the crowd after his final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant waves goodbye to the crowd after his final game at the Staples Center.
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Balloons and confetti fall after Kobe Bryant’s last game
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A security guard stnds alone on the court after Kobe Bryant’s last game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
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Los Angeles City Hall is decorated with Lakers’ purple and gold lights for Kobe Bryant’s last game.
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Kobe Bryant is mobbed as he scores 60-points in his final NBA game at the Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant gets a slap from comedian George Lopez after making a three-pointer in his final game.
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Kobe Bryant watches as the ball hits the bottom of the net during his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
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Kobe Bryant stretches out as he makes a basket during his final game as a Laker on April 12 at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant drives late in the final minutes of the game at Staples Center.
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Kanye West and Jay Z greet each other before Kobe Bryant’s final game.
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Kobe Bryant drives the ball in the third quarter of his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
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Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball in his last game as a Laker at the Staples Center Wednesday, April 12.
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Kobe Bryant shakes hands with Shaquille O’Neal at his final game at Staples Center on April 13.
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The Weeknd and girlfriend Bella Hadid arrive for Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant is stripped of the ball by Jazz guard Rodney Hood during first half action at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during the first half of his final NBA game.
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Lamar Odom attends Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, heads to the locker room after scoring 22 points in the first half of his final game on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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Kobe Bryant takes a shot in the first quarter of his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
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Kobe Bryant blocks a shot by Trevor Booker in his final game at Staples Center on Wednesday.
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Front row fans, including Jack Nicholson cheer Kobe Bryant after he hits a shot during first half action against the Jazz at Staples Center.
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LOS ANGELES-CA-APRIL 13, 2016: Kobe thanks the crowd before his final game at Staples Center.
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Kobe Bryant is welcomed onto the court for his farewell game at Staples Center on April 13.
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Kobe Bryant acknowledges the Staples Center crowd during a pregame ceremony.
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Kobe Bryant with Magic Johnson before Kobe plays his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
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Surrounded by cameras Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson embrace before Bryant’s final game at the Staples Center Wednesday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant waits for introductions before his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday, April 13. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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T-shirts await fans who attend Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
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A young girl, sporting Kobe Bryant’s original No. 8 Lakers jersey, bounces a ball on the court before the future Hall-of-Famer’s final game.
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The Lakers store at Staples Center was all about Kobe Bryant and his merchandise on the day of his final NBA game.
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Fans gather outside Staples Center before Kobe Bryant’s final game in a Laker uniform.
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Rock star “Flea” rehearses the national anthem before Kobe Bryant’s last game on April 13, 2016, as players warm-up. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gathered outside Staples Center ahead of Kobe Bryant’s final game with the Lakers.
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Lakers fans gather outside Staples Center before the final game of Kobe Bryant’s career.
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Chick Hearn Court is packed as fans descend on Staples Cener to witness Kobe Bryant play his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
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Lakers fans get a Kobe chant going outside Staples Center in Los Angeles before Laker great Kobe Bryant’s final game on Wednesday.
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Members of a group of Kobe Bryant fans who flew in from China, including Iris Hong of Beijing, right, get excited outside Staples Center for the player’s last game Wednesday.
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Fans sign a giant card for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center before his final game Wednesday.
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Kobe Bryant fans swarm to Staples Center in Los Angeles to show their love for the Laker great at his last game Wednesday.
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Kobe Bryant footwear is on display as the Laker Girls arrive for Wednesday night’s game, the basketball star’s last.
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Fans sign a giant card for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles before his final game Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles TImes) The first years with Bryant were not easy.
“Early on, we had guys that would come out on the court [early] and shoot three-pointers — Rick Fox, Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher would be out there. I said, ‘Why don’t you ever play that three-point shooting game with these guys?’ ‘I’m not a three-point shooter,’ he said. ‘That’s not what I want to work on. I want to work on other things.’…I was always trying to get him to participate with his teammates early on because he was kind of aloof and apart. He’d separate himself.”
One of Bryant’s playoff highlights that stands out for Jackson was in the 2000 Western Conference finals.
“He had a great moment at the end of that seven-game series against Portland, making plays at the end, to Shaq,” Jackson said. “I don’t know how many stops in a row we got. Fourteen stops in a row against Portland? It was incredible, the defensive stops. We just shut the door on them. That was pretty impressive with Kobe.
“He was around 22 years of age at the time. I’d been cajoling him all year about, ‘You’ve got to be a playmaker too. You’re not just a scorer.’ But that was a real tough thing. The thing with Kobe was he saw himself locked into a limited role with Shaq and all the talented players we had. ‘How am I going to be one of the greatest scorers ever if I can’t even score 20 points a game?’ ”
RUDY TOMJANOVICH, 2004-05
Tomjanovich coached Bryant for 43 games of the 2004-05 season before abruptly resigning because of physical and emotional difficulties. He still works with the Lakers as an analytics consultant.
“[Bryant] was the biggest attraction for the job, to get a chance to coach a great player like him. I had been blessed with Hakeem [Olajuwon], Clyde [Drexler] and [Charles] Barkley and [Scottie] Pippen.
“He was great. All the things that you’ve heard — working hard, practicing hard, setting the standard. He liked to talk basketball, called me in the off-season, asking about what kind of sets [I’d run] and things like that. Really a pleasure to be around the guy.”
Was Tomjanovich surprised Bryant lasted 20 years? “When you talk about him and [Larry] Bird and some of those guys, it’s the work ethic that gets these special guys there. It doesn’t happen by magic. They work their asses off to get where they are.”
FRANK HAMBLEN, 2005
Frank Hamblen was interim head coach after Tomjanovich stepped down. The Lakers finished that season with a 34-48 record. He was a longtime assistant coach under Jackson, both with Chicago and the Lakers. Hamblen, who is retired and lives in the San Diego area, recalled that 2004-05 season.
“It was a tough season and got tougher with Rudy leaving. We had a lot of injuries. Lamar [Odom] tore his labrum, Kobe had the high ankle sprain. It was a tough second half of the season. We didn’t have any fights or beat each other up,” Hamblen said with a laugh.
“You know, Kobe felt so comfortable with the triangle [offense], and that’s why we went back to it when I took over. He knew he could get his shot from several different positions. Instead of standing up and calling plays, which is the way Rudy coached, it was ball movement.… He knew what the problems were with our team. He was terrific. We had had a relationship prior to that with me being an assistant. He was really good. He was very easy to coach. He knew what the coaching staff was going through.…
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 25, 2013, at Staples Center. Arguably the greatest player of his generation, Bryant has played a leading role in helping the Lakers carry their winning tradition into the 21st century. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds up his jersey during his introductory news conference on July 12, 1996. (Andrew Scholer / Los Angeles Times)
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Laker rookie Kobe Bryant was a seasoned veteran at getting shot by cameras for advertisements before he took his first shot at training camp. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a summer league game against the Detroit Pistons in Long Beach on July 13, 1996. (Michael Caulfield / Associated Press)
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Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, warms up before a game at the Forum on Jan. 30, 1997. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds during a game at the Forum on Dec. 29, 1997. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant claps while walking off the court during a timeout against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 24, 1997, at the Forum. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times)
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Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, left, guards Lakers star Kobe Bryant during the 1998 NBA All-Star game. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant is dejected after losing the ball late in the second half of Game 3 of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs at the Forum. The Lakers lost, 103-91, giving the Spurs a 3-0 advantage in the series. The Spurs went on to win the series 4-0. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant speaks with reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 2, 2000. (Jack Smith / Associated Press)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal hold the championship trophies after winning Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant jumps over a row of fans after saving the ball from going out of bounds during a win over the Houston Rockets on Dec. 20, 2001. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is all smiles while standing next to teammates (from left) Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal during Game 1 of the 2001 Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 45 points in the Lakers’ 104-90 win. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal congratulate each other during the Lakers’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the 2002 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a win over the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on Nov. 22, 2002. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, steals the ball away from Portland Trail Blazers guard Jeff McInnis during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3, 2002. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during Game 1 of the 2002 NBA Western Conference finals against the Sacramento Kings. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right center, congratulates teammate Robert Horry on his winning shot against the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on May 26, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA Finals win over the New Jersey Nets. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates in the locker room after the team’s 2002 NBA Championship win over the New Jersey Nets. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks at the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Lakers’ NBA championship victory over the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Mark Madsen, left, and Kobe Bryant celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA title during a celebration in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2002. (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal show off their 2002 NBA championship rings before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on Oct. 29, 2002. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, drives on Houston Rockets small forward Juaquin Hawkins during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 17, 2002. (Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant watches as one of his three-pointers falls against the Wizards at Staples in 2001. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is double-teamed by Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Eric Snow, left, and Flip Murray during a game on March 19, 2006. (Mark Duncan / Associated Press)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant walks past the courtroom where his pretrial motion hearing for sexual assault charges took place in Eagle, Colo., on March 25, 2004. In July 2003, Bryant was arrested after a woman claimed he raped her at a Colorado hotel. Prosecutors later dropped the charges. (Chris Schneider / EPA)
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Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, take part in a news conference at Staples Center in July 2003 while addressing the sexual assault charges brought against Kobe. The charges were later dropped. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, speaks with coach Phil Jackson in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on April 10, 2003. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant tries to hide his emotions after the team’s season-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Western Conference semifinals. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers players (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal make their first game appearance together during a preseason game against the Clippers in Anaheim on Oct. 23, 2003. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, is congratulated by teammate Derek Fisher after the Lakers’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton walk off the court after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference finals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal sit on the bench during Game 6 of the 2004 Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant wipes sweat from his face during the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after injuring his right ankle during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2005. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and William “Smush” Parker talk during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz in Anaheim on Oct. 25, 2005. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after being fouled by the Houston Rockets’ Ryan Bowen (not pictured) in the first quarter of a game at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2005. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, left, whispers to coach Phil Jackson in between being photographed during Lakers’ media day on Oct. 2, 2006. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on Nov. 12, 2006. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers forward Lamar Odom, left, and guard Kobe Bryant talk on the bench during a timeout against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant listens to the national anthem before a game against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade to score the winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 108-107 victory at Staples Center on Dec. 4, 2009. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant holds his daughter, Natalia, while greeting team owner Jerry Buss before a news conference at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles announcing Bryant as the 2008 NBA MVP. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after losing to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Western Conference quarterfinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after a championship loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after hitting a late three-pointer in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference quarterfinals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry, right, calls a timeout immediately after Kobe Bryant hits a three-pointer during Game 2 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts immediately after a slam dunk against the New York Knicks on Feb. 2, 2009, at Madison Square Garden. Bryant scored 61 points in the win. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press)
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Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, right, celebrate in the closing seconds of the team’s NBA championship win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fourth NBA title with a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy while celebrating his fourth championship with the team following a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Derek Fisher, left, and Kobe Bryant, center, give President Barack Obama a personalized team jersey while visiting the White House on Jan. 25, 2010. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)
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Lakers forward Ron Artest, center, is congratulated by Kobe Bryant, left, and the rest of his teammates after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen battle for a loose ball during Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 15, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fifth NBA title following a victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates after the Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant gestures while celebrating his fifth championship with the Lakers during a team parade in Los Angeles on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates his fifth NBA title during the team’s championship parade on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times)
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Kobe Bryant kisses his championship ring during a ceremony honoring the Lakers’ 2010 NBA title before the team’s season opener on Oct. 26, 2010. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant share a laugh before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Nov. 9, 2010.
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Kobe Bryant, left, exchanges words with LeBron James during a Christmas Day game in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant walks behind Dallas Mavericks standout Dirk Nowitzki during Game 3 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after the team’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 8, 2011. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reflects on the 2010-11 season as he answers questions from reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 11, 2011. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant participates in a training session for South Korean fans during a promotional tour in Seoul on July 14, 2011. (Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during an exhibition game in the Philippines on July 24, 2011. (Noel Celis / AFP/Getty Images)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant gets a massage from team physical therapist Julie Seto during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 29, 2012. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, greets Oklahoma City Thunder standout Kevin Durant before walking off the court after a season-ending loss in Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard celebrate in the closing moments of their 119-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 18, 2012. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, puts up a shot over Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum during a game at Staples Center on Feb. 22, 2013. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Toronto Raptors forward Rudy Gay during the Lakers’ 118-116 overtime win at Staples Center on March 8, 2013. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during a game against the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center on Jan. 29, 2013. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, protects the ball from Sacramento Kings forward John Salmons during the Lakers’ 103-98 win on March 30, 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant rolls on the floor in pain after injuring suffering a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Sacramento Kings on April 12, 2013. Bryant did not return from the injury until December 2013. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant limps off the court in front of teammate Metta World Peace after suffering an Achilles tendon injury on April 12, 2013, against the Golden State Warriors. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant sits on the bench before being introduced against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. It was Bryant’s first game back since tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant grabs a rebound against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Dec. 8, 2013. (Harry How / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon injury, sits next to teammate Jodie Meeks during a Lakers’ loss to the Clippers at Staples Center on Jan. 10, 2014. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant walks down the court during the Lakers’ 110-91 loss to the Pacers on Dec. 14, 2014, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant drives on Memphis Grizzlies guard Quincy Pondexter on Nov. 26, 2014. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during a 110-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, speaks with Coach Byron Scott during a game against the San Antonio Spurs last December.
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dribbles the ball during the first half against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant smiles during the fourth quarter of a 111-103 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30, 2014. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks during a game against Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on Jan. 4. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during the closing moments of a 111-95 loss to the Washington Wizards on Dec. 3, 2014.
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers during a game at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2015.
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, poses for photos with FC Barcelona captain Andrés Iniesta Luján before a training session at the StubHub Stadium in Carson on July 20, 2015.
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Kobe Bryant poses for a photo at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 18, 2014. Bryant was limited to 35 games during the 2014-15 season because of injury.
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from reporters surrounding him during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from television reporters during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is surrounded by reporters while doing a radio interview during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
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Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball from Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) “Kobe patterned himself after Michael [Jordan]. Kobe was very hardworking during the season and in the off-season. He didn’t take practices off, wanted to win every drill. Both of them did. They both wanted to win every competition — team competition as well as individual competitions. They wanted to win them all.”
MIKE BROWN, 2011-12
Brown coached Bryant for the 2011-12 season and the first five games of 2012-13. This season he worked part-time with the San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff.
“At times, obviously, he would think that to win means to do this or do that and I may think to win means to do this or do that and sometimes they may not align. Coaches and players are not always aligned. But at the end of the day, you knew that he was trying to win every single time that he stepped on the floor. That’s one of the things that I appreciated the most with him.
“The other thing is you knew always with Kobe where you stood, where you were. I don’t know if he believes in hiding his emotions. A lot of coaches say they want that and then when they get it, it could be tough for them to handle. But I know that I enjoyed it because there was never a time where I had to guess what Kobe was thinking or what he wanted or anything like that. No guessing game whatsoever.”
MIKE D’ANTONI, 2012-2014
D’Antoni coached the Lakers for almost two full seasons before resigning in 2014. He was there the day Bryant sustained a torn Achilles’ tendon and famously limped off the court after making two free throws.
But a less-heralded game stood out in D’Antoni’s mind — a 116-107 Lakers loss in New York in December 2014. Bryant battled back spasms throughout the game and finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 44 minutes.
“He could will himself to do certain things in the game that were not normal,” said D’Antoni, now the Philadelphia 76ers’ associate head coach. “He could hardly walk in Madison Square Garden. I thought for sure he’d be out of the game. He comes and plays a lot of minutes and wouldn’t even let himself be subbed out of the game. A warrior-type mentality, and I think he demonstrated that for 20 years.”
BYRON SCOTT, 2014-16
Scott was a Lakers teammate during Bryant’s rookie season. After becoming a coach, Scott spent 13 seasons trying to devise defensive schemes to stop Bryant as head coach in New Jersey, New Orleans and Cleveland. Then Scott returned to the Lakers and was Bryant’s coach in the past two seasons.
“I’ve seen the maturation of Kobe Bryant from 18 to 37 years old. I’ve seen the highs and the lows. So for me, it’s just been pure joy to watch him. I played with him one year, watched him for many years and … I think I almost have that proud fatherly figure-type feeling. I’m like, ‘That’s my boy!’
“… Just being able to be in his ear as a rookie and tell him some of the things that we did back in the day and tell him some of the things that he had to do. To be able to see him take that all in and to see where he is now, it’s like, ‘Man, this kid is everything I thought he would be but more. But more.’ Our conversations when he said, ‘I want to best player in this league.’ And I looked at him and I said, ‘You will be. If you keep working like you’re working, you will be.’ But I didn’t think it was going to be to this type of status. I seriously didn’t.… I saw greatness in him, but I didn’t see this, as one of the greatest ever. He’s third in NBA history in scoring, five rings. He was probably cheated out of a couple of MVPs.…
“He had some games against some of my teams where he had 50-plus. I just kept telling our guys, especially in New Orleans when we had a pretty good team, I said, ‘Listen. He’s going to go off. So we’re going to have to change it up almost every quarter in how we’re going to guard him.…’ so let’s play him straight up. Then in the fourth quarter, when the game is on the line, now we’re going to double-team [him] every damned chance we get. My whole thing was the other guys were cold as hell because they haven’t touched the ball.…
“Kobe was one of those guys that you tried to mix it up with as much as possible. At the end of the day, you would look back and say, ‘You know what? We did a hell of a job on him,’ and he’d still have 30. So there really was no stopping him.”
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