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Kobe Bean Bryant—one of the most loved and loathed players in the NBA—turns 35 today. The 15-time All-Star has spent all of his adult life in the NBA and public eye. From his days as a superstar at Lower Merion where he took Brandy to prom back in ‘96 to his five NBA championship titles to the Colorado sexual assault case, the future Hall of Famer's life is pretty much an open book. Or is it?
Though stans may think they know everything about Kobe, there have to be a few little-known tidbits about his life that will surprise them. From the fact that he was named after a Japanese Steakhouse in Philadelphia to saying he would've attended UNC had he chosen to go to college, here are 35 Things You Didn't Know About Kobe Bryant.
Disclaimer: If you find yourself knowing the vast majority of these then you may want to check this list out.
RELATED: Kobe Bryant: Badass or Jackass?
His parents named him after a Japanese steakhouse in the Philadelphia suburb of King of Prussia.
In a 1998 interview with Sports Illustrated, Joe Bryant told the magazine that Kobe was in fact named after a resturaunt in Philadelphia. "I don't know if I should say that, they might want the rights to the name," said the father of the then-rising star. Ironically, owners of Kobe temporarily renamed the restaurant "The Answer" before the 2001 NBA finals where Allen Iverson's 76ers squared off against Kobe (and Shaq's) Lakers. The Lake Show won the series 4-1 and The Answer Japanese Steakhouse became Kobe once again. Unfortunately, the restaurant has since closed. Sorry Kobe stans, no pilgrimage for you.
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He didn't beat his father in one-on-one until he was 16.
Man, those epic one-on-one battles must've been like Jake Shuttlesworth vs. Jesus Shuttlesworth. As Kobe grew up, the play got more physical: "He'd elbow me in the mouth, rip my lip open. Then my mother would walk out on the court, and the elbows would stop," said Kobe. Thank goodness no mothers got killed (R.I.P. to Mrs. Shuttlesworth).
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In 1996 Kobe became the youngest player to play in the league at 18 years, 2 months, and 11 days. This record was later passed by Jermaine O'Neal and later Andrew Bynum.
Kobe Bryant has spent all of his adult life in the NBA. He began the first of his 17 seasons in the NBA as the youngest player in league history. He played his first minutes against the NBA against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3, 1996. Baby Black Mamba played six minutes, went 0-for-1 from the field, grabbed one board, had one block, and one foul in his debut.
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Hype Williams directed the never-released video for his debut rap single, "K.O.B.E."
Steve Stoute and Sony were playing no games in trying to Kobe to go platinum. They enlisted the hottest hip-hop video director at the time, Hype Williams, for the lead single "K.O.B.E." But the song was so corny and the backlash was so great that Sony decided to scrap the video and the album all together. We hope it turns up somewhere. It's probably glorious.
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He met his wife Vanessa on the set of the "K.O.B.E." video shoot.
The "K.O.B.E." video was supposed to be about fame. It reportedly showed papparzzi and fans tailing Kobe wherever he went. One of the pretty girls he met on set was Vanessa Laine who happened to be at the same location for Tha Eastsidaz "G'd Up" video. That chance meeting was the beginning of their somehwhat tumultous relationship.
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He once showed up seven hours early to a Team USA scrimmage to practice.
In the lead-up to the 2012 Olympics, Kobe had a trainer wake up at 4 a.m. to help him train for 75 minutes. The trainer then left to get some sleep before the morning practice. After the 11 a.m. Team USA scrimmage, the trainer noticed that Kobe was still taking jump-shots at one side of the gym. He asked Kobe when he finished his workout, and got this reply: "'Oh just now. I wanted 800 makes so yeah, just now." Stories like this have us convinced that Kobe could play forever if he wanted to.
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His signature Nike shoe was influenced by soccer cleats.
Low-top basketball sneakers have been around since the days of Wilt Chamberlain, but traditionally, ballers laced up in high-tops to help prevent ankle injuries. Medical research on whether high-top ankle support prevents injuries brings up a mixed bag of answers.
Kobe wasn't just trying to buck a trend or make a sports medicine statement when he asked Nike to make a low-cut sneaker—he was enamored by the amount of stress soccer players were able to put on their ankles despite playing in low-cut cleats. Nike followed through with a low-top Kobe IV, and now almost every Nike basketball shoe comes in a low-cut or mid form-even LeBron and Kevin Durant's models. Follow the leader.
He chews on his jersey when his mouth gets dry.
He also crosses people up like Matt Barnes while doing it. He'll be able to survive with Bear Grylls with that technique.
He's been an AC Milan fan since growing up in Italy.
Becoming an AC Milan fan must've been a no-brainer for Kobe. While he could've picked rival Inter Milan, AC Milan was wildly successful during his stay in Italy, winning the Champions League twice, the Coppa Italia twice, and the Serie A title once. That's quite a trophy haul for young Kobe to witness.
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As a child soccer player, he played goalkeeper because of his lanky build.
Kobe had potential to be a great keeper had he pursued it. With his hops, 6'6" build, 6'11" wingspan, and killer mentality, he could've dominated between the goal posts and in the penalty box. Attackers would've been afraid of one-one-one challenges, and any striker brave enough to attempt a header in the box would be met with Kobe's scowl. In the face of the "how would LeBron do in the NFL?" scenario, Kobe as a goal keeper might actually be more plausible.
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He was the first guard taken straight out of high school.
The Lakers made Kobe the first guard to come out of high school by taking him with the No. 13 in the 1996 Draft (via the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divac). Usually teams would rather take a big man because you can't teach height. Bryant struggled during his first season, only averaging seven points in 15 minutes and 7.6 points per game.
Bruce Lee is one of his biggest basketball influences.
Kobe appearing in the I Am Bruce Lee documentary was no accident. He's a big Bruce Lee fan, and cited him as a key influence while on a tour of Asia in 2010: "It seems Bruce Lee has nothing to do with basketball. To me it has everything to do with basketball." He's fascinated with the Chinese energy concept of Qi and how it not only relates to Lee's martial arts, but in basketball too. The "formlessness" concept with which Lee practiced martial arts also intrigued Kobe, who tries to play loosely, adapt to different situations, and let his creativity on the court make him tougher to guard.
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He hates dog poop.
Oh, you did't know that Complex has been riding with Kobe for a few years now? That's right, The Black Mamba was on the cover of our February/March 2009 issue. In outtakes of his interview with Marc Ecko, Bryant revelaed the one thing he despises the most. Haters? Nah. Hotel employees? Ha, nope. Celtics fans? No. He hates dog shit. Don't we all? Sidebar: Dog poop was actually at the center of a lawsuit between the Bryant's and a former maid of theirs.
When he and Vanessa started dating, her high school made her finish her senior year from home.
If you were a high school principal and the Lakers' star shooting guard started showing up on your campus in a Mercedes to pick up one of your students, would you welcome it? Kobe's pressence around Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. was deemed to be a big enough distraction that Vanessa, who was a senior when she started dating Kobe, was forced to finish her year from home.
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Pressed for practice time and space in Italy, he would shoot around during halftime at his father's games in Italy.
Getting time to practice basketball in Italy was tough. While courts were available, Kobe was constantly chased off of them by masses of kids wanting to play soccer. So where would young Kobe turn to practice his jumper? His father's basketball games, of course. It's always tough to get him off the court though-he would have to be shooed off before the teams could start the second half.
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His NYC streetball nickname is "Three Rings."
Back in 2002, Kobe paid a visit to the famed Rucker Park to catch some wreck. He wooed the crowd the only he can and the live announcer named him "Three Rings" for the amount of hardware he had at the time. Bryant finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a rain-shortened game.
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His middle name, "Bean," comes from his father's nickname "Jellybean."
Kobe's father, Joe Bryant, was known for his high energy and jumping ability, hence the nickname "Jellybean." So now that you know, please refer to No. 24 as Kobe Bean Bryant.
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Growing up, his favorite soccer player was Marco van Basten.
While growing up in Italy, Kobe followed Magic's Showtime Lakers despite the 6,000 mile separation. He had his idols closer to home too. On the soccer front, he looked up to star AC Milan striker Marco van Basten, who scored 90 goals during his time with Milan.
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He once challenged Toronto Raptors guard Alvin Williams to a rap battle in the lobby of the Hilton.
Not backing down from a challenge is typical Kobe. When Kobe told Williams that he was going to go to his room to rap during All-Star weekend, Williams made the mistake of saying, "You can't rap." Kobe then rapped for 15 straight minutes before Williams walked away. We wonder if Kobe still rhymes all alone in his room.
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The Clippers didn't draft him with the 7th pick in the 1996 Draft because they didn't think the city of L.A. would take them seriously.
The Clippers loved Kobe's workout but decided not to take him because they didn't want to be a laughingstock. They felt that if they took a 17-year-old, the city wouldn't take them seriously as a franchise. Go figure! They took Lorenzen Wright, which was a safe pick at the time. Hindsight is 20/20.
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He appeared in Destiny's Child's "Bug A Boo" video.
Was "Bug a Boo" the poor man's "No Scrubs," or was it the other way around? That's probably a discussion best left for a different day. Either way, Kobe made a brief appearance as a bewildered version of himself in the "Bug a Boo" music video, briefly locking eyes with Beyonce before she and the rest of Destiny's Child moved on to party with a marching band and get back together with their old boyfriends.
He had three of his own basketball video games in the NBA Courtside franchise.
Those who were fans of Kobe in his mini fro days can remember the Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside video game franchise for Nintendo. The first edition dropped in 1998 and while it wasn't on par with NBA Jams in terms of popularity, it was successfull enough to garner two more installments. The final edition, NBA Courtside 2002 did go on to sell over 100,000 copies. IGN gave Courtside 2002 a 7.5 rating.
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Bryant's middle name is different from what appears on his birth certificate and other documents.
If you thought that "Bean" was too odd a middle name to actually be recorded, then Kobe's parents seem to agree with you. While he's always been known as Kobe Bean Bryant, "Bean" is apparently just a nickname; it appears nowhere on Kobe's birth certificate or other basic documents.
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He speaks fluent Italian.
Just because Kobe didn't go to college doesn't mean he isn't one of the smartest guys in the league. Having lived in Italy for eight years while his father played in the Italian League, the quick study picked up Italian and still speaks it fluently to this day.
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He was the last bench player to be selected to an All-Star game (1998).
If you don't start, you're probably not going to make the All-Star team. You simply don't grab enough headlines or play enough minutes. In 1998, though, Kobe was the exception as he put up 17.9 points per game through the All-Star break to become the last person to make the team despite being a bench player.
Canibus was his favorite rapper growing up.
According to the rappers who Kobe grew up hanging around, he was a very "lyrical" rapper. DJ Clark Kent even categorized him as a "lyrical-miracle-genius-type rapper." It's no surprise then that Kobe took to Canibus, one of the most talented and underappreciated lyricists of '90s rap, to draw inspiration for his own music. Said Words, an MC who Kobe recorded alongside, "You could tell he was influenced by Canibus. Kobe had a quality of lyrics."
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As a battle rapper growing up in Philadelphia, he called himself "The Eighth Man."
Because he wore No. 8, get it? But why would you name yourself after a guy that gets rotation minutes? His rapping on "K.O.B.E." was more like a D-League call-up a.k.a. the 15th man.
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While recording his debut rap album in 1998, he lived with Steve Stoute.
When hip-hop industry legend Steve Stoute wants you to live with him to record a rap album, you do it. Stoute had Kobe live in his New Jersey mansion so he could record him in what was supposed to be a superstar rap career. He'd train at nearby Ramapo College by day and do the hip-hop thing with Stoute at night, recording with Nas, Noreaga, and 50 Cent, and then clubbing afterward.
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His original number (8) is what you get when adding up his ABCD Camp number (143).
When Kobe arrived with the Lakers and chose to wear No. 8, it wasn't just by coincidence that he arrived at that number. Not only was it the number her wore growing up in Italy (as an homage to his favorite player, Mike D'Antoni), but it was also the sum of his number (143) from the legendary ABCD Camp number.
He holds the record for most consecutive All-Star selections (15).
If you've watched any of the NBA All-Star games over the last decade-and-a-half, you know the one person you could guarantee on seeing is Kobe Bean Bryant. Since making his debut in '98 at Madison Square Garden, Bryant has been seleted to every All-Star Game. He also shares the record for most All-Star Game MVPs (4) with Bob Pettit.
For most of his career in high school, Bryant wore the number 33 but when he entered NBA he switched to number 8.
After rocking his now-signature No. 24 his first season, high school sophomore Kobe Bryant decided to switch it up and wear number 33 for the final three years of his career at Lower Merion. He might have kept wearing it in the NBA, except for one problem: it was already retired in honor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Mike D'Antoni was one of his favorite players growing up.
What goes around, comes around, right? D'Antoni was playing professional basketball in Milan during Kobe's childhood over there. Said Kobe on growing up watching D'Antoni play: "He was a tenacious guard, man. He made great plays. He was probably the greatest guard to ever play over there... He was a player that I admired growing up." High praise for his current head coach.
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He says he would've gone to UNC over Duke had he chosen to go to college.
It's one of the great "what ifs" of all-time. If Kobe had really decided to go to UNC instead of entering the draft in 1996, he would have joined up with Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, forming what could have been one of the greatest college teams of all-time. That 1996-97 Tar Heel squad made it to the Final Four without Kobe, so it's probably safe to say they would have been able to squeeze out two more wins with him.
His personal Top 5 of all time includes: Magic, Jordan, Bird, Russell and Kareem.
Kobe hasn't always been the most humble of players, which is fair. He's pretty damn good, so he can say pretty much whatever he wants. But for him to leave himself out of a top five players of all-time list? Pretty shocking. He also wins political points by singling out Larry Bird as "just money," perhaps causing Celtics fans to hate him just a little bit less.
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He took Brandy to the prom.
As a senior at Lower Merion High, Kobe Bryant took actress/singer Brandy Norwood to his prom. At the time Brandy was starring in the UPN sitcom Moesha. Bryant wasn't doing too bad either as he had just signed a shoe deal with adidas and was weeks away from being drafted. Brandy later expressed her appreciation for Kobe taking her to prom because she wouldn't have had a chance to go to prom otherwise.