Kobe Bryant
Two Olympic gold medals — Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Kobe Bean Bryant was a two-time gold medal recipient on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. He played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 2008 NBA MVP. Nicknamed "the Black Mamba," he is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bryant was born in Philadelphia, the son of NBA player Joe Bryant, and spent part of his childhood in Italy. He played high school basketball at Lower Merion High School before declaring for the 1996 NBA draft, where he was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Lakers.
- Role
- Shooting guard / Small forward
- Affiliation
- United States men's national basketball team
- First appears
- 2008 Beijing Olympics
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Kobe Bryant's Olympic career began with the 2008 U.S. men's basketball team, known as the "Redeem Team," which won gold in Beijing. He also won gold with the 2012 U.S. team in London. Bryant was a two-time gold medal recipient. His individual NBA accolades include 15 All-NBA Team selections, 12 All-Defensive Team selections, and two scoring championships. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant is the Lakers' all-time leading scorer and the first guard to play 20 NBA seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the third most ever, and his four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards tied Bob Pettit's record. In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for *Dear Basketball* (2017).
In Their Own Story
He was a key defensive stopper and closer for the team. Bryant was posthumously named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and was a two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: once in 2020 for his individual career, and in 2025 as part of the 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("Redeem Team").
Reader's Guide
Kobe Bryant's Olympic appearances were in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London), winning gold both times. He was a shooting guard and small forward for the United States men's national basketball team. His playing style combined elite scoring, lockdown defense, and leadership. He was known for taking and making clutch shots in high-pressure moments. Bryant's Olympic career ended after the 2012 Games, and he retired from the NBA after the 2015–16 season. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 for his individual career and again in 2025 as part of the 2008 Redeem Team.
Did You Know?
- Kobe Bryant was named after the Kobe beef from Japan, which his father saw on a restaurant menu.
- He was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons.
- Bryant scored a career-high 81 points on January 22, 2006, the third most in an NBA game.
- He won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018 for *Dear Basketball*.
- Bryant is the only NBA player to have multiple jersey numbers (8 and 24) retired by one franchise.
More in Legendary Players
Elsewhere in the The Olympics universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record