Kobe Bryant won two gold medals as a member of USA Basketball. He took part in the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2012 Olympic Games. Kobe was a leader of both squads and helped solidify the United States as the worldwide leader in basketball.
2008
The 2008 team has been given the nickname “The Redeem Team.” The 2004 Olympic Men’s Team, which competed in Athens, was unable to secure the Gold Medal. Kobe and the 2008 team were committed to righting that wrong. Kobe was looked at as a leader on a team that featured a lot of spectacular young talent. The team also included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer. Despite it being his first appearance in the Olympics, Bryant was a key member of the team and a major reason why Gold returned to the USA.
2012
Kobe would once again lead Team USA to Gold in 2012. He was once again surrounded by a talented roster that included LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. The team was once again dominate and Bryant was a mentor on the squad.
The Legacy of Kobe
Kobe’s basketball career was one of all-time best. From winning the MVP Award in 2008, to scoring 81 points in a game, Kobe is one of the best to ever do it. When Kobe ended his basketball career in 2016, he ended one chapter of his life, but he had much more planned.
2018
In 2018, Bryant won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball. Kobe was also dedicated to his daughters. He had embraced and excelled at being a father, and was mentoring his daughter, Gianna Bryant, to follow in his footsteps as a basketball player.
Global Icon
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people, were killed in a helicopter crash. Kobe’s legacy lives on today, and he is appreciated as not just a world class athlete, but also a global icon.
- Adam C. Better
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