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Kobe Bryant the Game-Winner, Athlete Of The Day

By Janina Energin for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:December 5, 2009

Down by two with 3.2 seconds left, Kobe Bryant merely wanted to drive for a tying basket. His foot slipped when he got the ball, and Miami’s defense forced Bryant to throw up an off-balance 3-point shot that was well off target and far too long, AP reported.

Despite having Dwyane Wade covering him and getting the shot off with fractions of a second left on the clock, Bryant’s attempt crashed off the glass and into the hoop for the shocking victory. Bryant finished with 33 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the 108-107 win.

Kobe Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant … In his second season he was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming at 19 the youngest All-Star in NBA history.

Bryant was the all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania schoolboy history with 2,883 points, breaking the marks of NBA legend and Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (2,359 points) and former St. Joseph’s player Carlin Warley (2,441 points) … Bryant led his high school team to a 77-13 record in his last three seasons and was a four-year starter … His father, Joe, played eight NBA seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets, and is a former assistant coach at La Salle … As a senior at Lower Merion High School, Bryant was selected by USA Today and Parade Magazine as the National High School Player of the Year … He was also named Naismith Player of the Year, Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year and to the McDonald’s All-America Team.

In 2005-06 he shocked the basketball world with his 81 points, the second-best scoring performance in NBA history and then led the league with 35.4 points. After another scoring title in 2006-07, Kobe got his first Season MVP in 2007-08 and will be the key piece of the USA Team at the 2008 Olympic Games.

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