Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. He graduated with the class of '96 at Lower Merion high school. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets and they traded him to the LA. LAKERS where he still plays today. Kobe met his Wife, Vanessa, during the filming of one of his videos. They where married on April 18, 2001 and gave birth to a daurther on January 19, 2003. Kobe is reguarded as one of the premier NBA player of this generation. He's won 3 NBA Titles, he,s an 8-time NBA All Star, the 2002 NBA All-Star Game MVP and has been selected to 6 All-Defensive Teams.