AllMovie

Factsheet

• Father Joe Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA and seven in Italy before eventually becoming WNBA coach.
• Named after a type of steak his parents saw listed on a restaurant menu.
• Speaks fluent Italian, having spent eight childhood years in Italy.
• Took R&B singer Brandy to his high school prom.
• Went directly from high school to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996.
• Became youngest All-Star in NBA history at the age of 19 in 1998.
• Won three straight Lakers championships, 2000-2002, while paired with Shaquille O'Neal.
• Led the NBA in scoring 2006 and 2007.
• Scored 81 points, second most ever in NBA history, against Toronto in 2006.
• In 2006, his daughter Gianna Maria-Onoro was born six minutes before the daughter of Bryant's former teammate, Shaquille O'Neal.