Kobe Bryant

My family as well as myself are huge Laker fans, so naturally one of  my favorite sports figures would have to be Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 to Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. From a young age he was introduced to basketball because his father was a professional basketball player. Because of his father moving around constantly to play for different teams Kobe Bryant learned to speak Italian and Spanish fluently. He would practice with his dad and learned many of his moves from his father. During his father's games Kobe would sometimes play on the court during half times. He got used to hearing the screaming and the chanting for his father. Once in high school he was coached by his father his sophomore year. He gained many merits, awards, and recognition.

These events helped him become successful in the NBA. Kobe was so use to basketball that there was hardly ever a day where he didn't touch one. The Spanish and Italian he learned helped him communicate with some of his team mates such as Sasha Vujacic and Pau Gasol in a way that other competitors could not understand what he was saying. During his years playing basketball in Lower Marion High School, Kobe Bryant learned to became a great leader, student of the game, and he learned how to deal with constant attention and speculation . Kobe learned to work hard and be determined. Being around constant cheering, screaming and even booing let him work on concentration even in the craziest of arenas or craziest of fans. All of these factors combined have played a part in his achievement of winning five NBA championship rings, MVP, and many other awards. The events in his life as well as just being good, shaped his success.