How Much Do You Know About the Legacy of Kobe Bryant?

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By: Gavin Thagard

7 Min Quiz

Image: WikiCommons by Luke Harold

About This Quiz

It takes a lot of work to be considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, but Kobe Bryant was willing to put it in day after day. In fact, his dedication to getting better was unmatched, and many other star players credit him as an inspiration both on and off the court. For Bryant, the quest for greatness was not just a mindset, though he was as mentally tough as they come, but was a way of life. He lived and breathed greatness and never settled for anything less than perfection. 

Over the course of his career, he put his greatness on display night after night. Whether it was taking the last shot as the clock ran out or leading his team in scoring during the NBA Finals, there was never a moment too big for Bryant. He actually embraced the biggest moments, as he knew those times defined legacies.

Here's your chance to see how well you know the legacy he left behind. From individual awards to championships, this quiz covers it all. Will you be able to pull out your inner Kobe Bryant and overcome this challenge? If you think you can, gear up and give it your best shot!

Do you know the name of the superstar who came to join Kobe in Los Angeles during his rookie season?

Already a star in the league, the Los Angeles Lakers immediately became Shaquille O'Neal's team when he joined them in 1996. His relationship with Kobe started off strong, as he credited Bryant for being willing to take shots in the 1997 NBA Playoffs despite shooting four straight airballs.

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Identify the nickname Kobe went by throughout his NBA career.

An off-the-court issue tarnished Kobe's name in 2003 when he was at the height of his career. To combat the backlash that followed him, Bryant gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba," which served as an alter ego when he was on the court.

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What number did Kobe wear for the first half of his NBA career?

Initially, Kobe had plans to wear a jersey number other than No. 8, but his other top choices were either retired or worn by teammates. He decided to add together his numbers from his Adidas ABCD camp jersey, which came out to the number he started his career with, No. 8.

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Who was the head coach of the Lakers during all five of Kobe's championship runs?

Phil Jackson departed the Los Angeles Lakers following their loss in the 2004 NBA Finals, and the Lakers had one of their worst seasons in years in 2004-05, missing the playoffs after posting a losing record. Jackson returned the next season and immediately led the Lakers back to the playoffs.

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Which NBA team drafted Kobe with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, launching his professional career?

Before the 1996 NBA Draft took place, the Charlotte Hornets agreed to trade whoever they drafted with the 13th pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlad Divac. On the day of the draft, the Lakers told the Hornets to select Kobe Bryant, who they had been scouting for weeks, and the deal was made.

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A star dating all the way back to high school, where did Kobe Bryant go to play college basketball?

Kobe was one of the first basketball players to go straight from high school to the NBA when he elected to forgo college to enter the NBA Draft in 1996. Even though Bryant had been named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, the move was still surprising because not many star players were doing it at the time.

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Kobe put on a show in his last NBA game by scoring how many points to end his career on a high note?

Kobe was challenged by Shaq to go out on a high note in his last NBA game. Bryant did just that against the Utah Jazz, scoring 60 total points with 23 coming in the fourth quarter, which was more than the entire Jazz team in that quarter.

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Kobe sits in second place for most points scored in a game with 81. Which team did he rack up those points against?

Kobe was unstoppable when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, as not a single defender on the court could stop him from scoring. The most unique part of the performance is that the Lakers needed every one of his points, as they didn't pull away until the fourth quarter.

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Are you familiar with the All-Star the Lakers paired with Kobe in 2007 to help him win another championship?

After Shaq was traded in 2004, the Lakers failed to put any real talent around Kobe for the next three seasons. Fearing he would never return to the Finals, Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers, but his request wasn't granted. Instead, the Lakers added Pau Gasol to bolster the roster.

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Including his first title in 2000, how many championships did Kobe win in a row playing beside Shaq?

Shaq was definitely the force behind the Los Angeles Lakers' three straight championships, as he won the Finals MVP in each of those appearances. Though Kobe was grateful for the success, a divide eventually grew between O'Neal and himself because Bryant wanted to lead his own team.

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On Dec. 14, 2014, who did Kobe Bryant pass on the all-time leading scorer list?

Considering Kobe modeled his game after Michael Jordan, it was an honor for him to pass the former legend on the all-time scoring list. For a few years, Bryant sat third on the list, but he was passed in 2020 by LeBron James.

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Are you familiar with the team Kobe defeated in the NBA Finals to win his first championship?

Led by Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers had been pushing on the door for a championship throughout the late '90s, and they finally had their opportunity in the 2000 NBA Finals. However, the Los Angeles Lakers were just too much, winning the title in six games behind the play of Kobe and Shaq.

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Are you familiar with the player who Kobe shared the All-Star Game MVP with in 2009?

After parting ways in 2004, Kobe and Shaq teamed up once again to help the Western Conference defeat the Eastern Conference in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. Bryant was the leading scorer for the West, scoring 27 points, while O'Neal scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in only 10 minutes.

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After posting a 17-25 record to start the 2012-13 season, Bryant went on a tear to help the Lakers make the NBA Playoffs, but he suffered which devastating injury right before the playoffs began?

Kobe didn't like the direction that the Lakers were headed when he pushed aside his head coach in the 2012-13 season and took control of the team himself. The move worked because the Lakers reached the playoffs, but Bryant was playing over 40 minutes a game, which eventually caught up with him.

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Select the team that Kobe Bryant defeated in the 2009 NBA Finals to finally take home a trophy without Shaq.

After a rough parting from Shaq, Kobe was desperate to prove that he could win a title of his own. It took him several seasons, but when he defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant finally showed his star power by taking home the Finals MVP.

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Can you identify the honor Kobe received in 2008, the only time he earned it in his career?

Year after year, Kobe was in the running for the NBA MVP award, but he ended his career with only one MVP in 2008. That season, he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

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After leaving the NBA, what accomplishment did Kobe achieve outside the field of basketball?

Following his basketball career, Kobe wrote and narrated his animated short film "Dear Basketball" in 2017. The film won the Academy Award for best animated short film, making Bryant the first professional athlete to win an Academy Award.

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Under which head coach did Kobe become more of a facilitator?

Phil Jackson retired from the Los Angeles Lakers following the 2010-11 season and was replaced by Mike Brown, who only lasted one year. Head coach Mike D'Antoni was brought in the next season, along with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, to help the Lakers make a run at another title.

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With his body breaking down, when did Kobe finally retire from the NBA?

When Kobe retired in 2016, he had spent more time with the same team than any other player in NBA history, though he has since been passed by Dirk Nowitzki. During his final season, Bryant was honored by teams around the league who recognized the legacy he was leaving behind.

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A perennial All-Star when he got going, when did Kobe make his first All-Star Game?

When Kobe played in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, which took place in Madison Square Garden, he was only 19 years old and the youngest player to ever start in an All-Star Game. Bryant came to play, too, leading the Western Conference in scoring with 18 points.

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Kobe was already earning honors and awards during his rookie season. What did he accomplish in his first season in the league?

Kobe was only 18 years old when he participated in and won the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. That made him the youngest player to ever win the contest and set the stage for the stellar career that would follow.

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Do you know where Kobe won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 with the U.S. men's basketball team?

In 2008, the U.S. men's basketball team sought to redeem their loss in the 2004 Olympics, where they took home the bronze medal in a disappointing performance. To help them accomplish their goals, Kobe, perhaps the biggest star in the league at the time, was named the team captain.

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Capturing his second NBA title, it took Kobe and the Lakers how many games to defeat the 76ers in 2001?

Since Kobe had another year of experience and Shaq was still the most dominant force in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers were heavily outmatched in the 2001 NBA Finals. That didn't stop Allen Iverson from stealing Game 1 in overtime by scoring a series-high 48 points.

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What was the total number of 50-plus point games Kobe notched during the 2006-07 season?

There were several highs and lows for Kobe during the 2006-07 season, as he racked up several high-scoring games along with some suspensions. One of his best games, though, came on March 16, 2007, when he scored 65 points to end a seven-game losing streak.

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When did Kobe first wear No. 24 after changing from his previous number?

When Kobe finally retired after 20 seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to honor his contributions by retiring both No. 8 and No. 24 in his honor. He's the only player in NBA history to have two numbers retired by the same team.

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What year did Kobe play in his last NBA Playoff game?

Kobe desperately wanted to match Michael Jordan with six NBA championships, but he was outmatched in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. The Lakers did reach the second round but lost in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Kobe put up how many points when he won the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2011 by helping the Western Conference defeat the Eastern Conference?

Kobe's 37 points in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game gave him his fourth and final All-Star Game MVP. Those four MVPs tied him with Bob Pettit for the most all-time in NBA history.

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In his 20-year career, how many All-Defensive Teams did Kobe make?

Throughout the 2000s, the biggest offensive stars didn't always get it done on the defensive side of the ball. That wasn't the case for Kobe, who was never afraid to take the toughest defensive assignment and impose his will along the way.

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Which former legend from the Lakers did Kobe pass in 2010 to become the all-time leading scorer for the franchise?

Jerry West was instrumental to Kobe Bryant's career and was a major reason Bryant ended up on the team coming out of high school in 1996. At the time, West served as the general manager of the Lakers, and he remained in this capacity until 2002.

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In the 2005-06 NBA season, Kobe averaged 35.4 points per game to take home his first scoring title. Who did he beat out for that scoring title?

LeBron James was a young buck in the league, playing only his third NBA season, when he averaged 31.4 points per game in 2005-06. However, his incredible scoring total wasn't enough for him to edge out Kobe, who was on a tear that season as he racked up 27 40-plus point games.

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How many games did Bryant play in the 2013-14 season when fans still elected him to the All-Star Game?

After making his first All-Star Game in 1998, Kobe never missed another All-Star Game for the rest of his career. He currently holds the record for the most consecutive All-Star Games without missing one.

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What year did Kobe win his second NBA scoring title?

Kobe was always an elite scorer in the NBA, but his back to back scoring titles in 2006 and 2007 came at a time when he was the only major star on the Los Angeles Lakers. In neither of those seasons did the Lakers make a deep playoff push, but fans were happy to show up just to see Bryant on the court.

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When did Kobe win his first of four NBA All-Star Game MVPs?

The 2002 NBA All-Star Game took place in Philadelphia, where the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the 76ers in the Finals the year prior. For that reason, the crowd booed Kobe all game, but he still scored 31 points to take home the MVP.

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Kobe scored a series-high 38 points in which game of the 2010 NBA Finals?

Kobe took home his second Finals MVP in 2010 after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a tough seven-game series. In the series, Bryant averaged 28.6 points, eight rebounds and 3.9 assists.

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How many years did it take Kobe to become a full-time starter for the Lakers?

Kobe only started in seven games during his first two seasons in the NBA, but by his third year, he was ready to take on the starting shooting guard role for the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season as a full-time starter, Bryant averaged 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

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