Kobe Bryant was born in 1978 and played high school basketball in Pennsylvania before being drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he has played ever since. Bryant spent part of his childhood in Italy playing basketball and wore number 8 for 10 seasons before changing to number 24 for a new beginning in his career. He has had an illustrious career winning 3 championships and making 7 All-Star teams as well as 6 All-Defensive teams while improving his scoring average over his career.