Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players to have graced the NBA. Bryant was selected as the 13th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. However, in June 1996, Bryant was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for the franchise for 20 years, where he led the Lakers to seven NBA Finals. During these 20 years, Bryant played 1346 games and averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
When Kobe came into the league, he was not a great shooter, but within a few years, he became an assassin with the ball in his hand. He is an 18-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, 12-time All-defense, and a 5-time NBA champion, to list a few of his many astounding achievements in basketball. Before joining the NBA, Bryant went to Lower Merior High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, in 1992. In senior year with the school, Bryant earned the MVP award, as he also led the Aces to the first championship in 53 years. Bryant finished his high school career in 1996, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons and becoming the leading scorer with 2,883 points.
| Player name | Kobe Bean Bryant |
| Born | 23 August 1978 |
| Ring count | 5 |
| Ring years | 2000-02,2009-10 |
| Won championships with | LA Lakers |
| Drafted by | Charlotte Hornets |
| Drafted year | 1996 |
How many rings does Kobe Bryant have?
Kobe Bryant has won 5 rings in 20 seasons in the NBA. However, he has led the Los Angeles Lakers to seven NBA Finals in his career.
Also read: Kobe Bryant's Stats
What years did Kobe Bryant win his rings?
2000-02: The famous Los Angeles Lakers 3-peat started when Phil Jackson took over as head coach. Kobe was in his prime, dominating the league from the shooting guard position.
With Shaquille O’Neal as the team's leading star, they went on to win 3 consecutive rings. This run is considered to be one of the most dominant championships in NBA history. In their first championship run, they won 67 games in the regular season, which is tied for the 5th most in NBA history. They then steamrolled everyone in the playoffs to reach the Finals to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers. Although Shaq was the franchise's leader, Kobe was super clutch in Game 4 of the Finals. He scored 22 points in the second half and led the team to an OT victory after O'Neal had fouled out of the game. Bryant converted the final shot of the game to put the Los Angeles Lakers ahead by 120–118. With a 116–111 Game 6 victory, the Los Angeles Lakers won their first championship since 1988.
The 2nd championship run was even more dominant as the Lakers went 16-1 in the playoffs. The only match they lost was in the Finals to the Philadelphia 76ers. Kobe Bryant played heavy minutes and recorded a stat line of 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He eventually ended up making the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the second year in a row. The Lakers swept the Portland Trail Blazers and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4–1 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the conference Finals, the 2-time defending champions didn’t have a home-court advantage against the Sacramento Kings. The series would stretch to seven games, the first time this had happened to the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000 Western Conference Finals.
However, Kobe Bryant and the crew were successful in beating their division rivals and confirming their spot in the third consecutive NBA Finals. In the Finals that year against the New Jersey Nets, Bryant averaged 26.8 points on 51.4% shooting with 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. When all was said and done, he finished with a quarter of his team's points from that post-season. At the age of 23, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to win three championships.
2009-10: After losing to the Boston Celtics the previous season, the Los Angeles Lakers had a chip on their shoulder. Kobe Bryant came back extremely motivated, leading his team to a 65-17 regular-season record. With All-Star Pau Gasol as his running mate, they beat Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in the first two rounds and then took out the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals. In the Finals, Dwight Howard led Orlando Magic to stand in their way, whom they eventually beat in 5 games. Kobe won his 4th ring and his first without Shaq. Bryant was the first player to average at least 32.4 points and 7.4 assists in the NBA Finals after Jerry West in the 1969 NBA Finals.
2009 - For the 2nd time in his career, Kobe Bryant made it to the NBA Finals 3 years in a row. During the run to the Finals, Los Angeles Lakers beat Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and the Phoenix Suns. It was time for revenge for Kobe Bryant, as he took out the Boston Celtics in 6 games to secure his 5th NBA Championship ring.
How many rings does Kobe Bryant have without Shaq?
Kobe won two back-to-back championships with Pau Gasol as his 2nd star on the team back in 2009 and 2010.
How many rings did Kobe win with Shaq?
Kobe won three NBA rings with Shaq between 2000 and 2002. He has a total of 3 rings with him.
FAQs on Kobe Bryant
A. Kobe Bryant was drafted as the 13th overall pick in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft.
A. Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for his entire 20 years career.
A. Kobe Bryant made 1,827 three's in his career.
A. Kobe Bryant played in seven NBA Finals.
