school's first State title and being named Pennsylvania Player
of the Year; and
WHEREAS, Following his senior year of high school, Kobe
declared for the 50th NBA Draft in 1996; and
WHEREAS, With the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the
Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe, but promptly traded him to the
Los Angeles Lakers; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his career, Kobe played a total
of 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and held the record for
most seasons played for a single NBA franchise; and
WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant achieved multiple accomplishments such
as becoming a five-time NBA Champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP,
a two-time scoring champion, an 18-time NBA All-Star, a two-time
Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner and a two-time Olympic gold
medalist during his 20-year career; and
WHEREAS, In April 2016, Kobe retired from the NBA and was
honored by the Los Angeles Lakers by retiring his No. 8 and No.
24 jerseys in the Staples Center in December 2017; and
WHEREAS, After retirement, Kobe continued to incorporate his
"Mamba Mentality," an adequate summation of his intensity and
focus, into other pursuits; and
WHEREAS, Kobe became an Academy Award winner when his film,
"Dear Basketball," won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at
the 2018 Academy Awards; and
WHEREAS, Kobe was a published author whose book, "Mamba
Mentality: How I Play," has become one of the best selling books
in sports literature; and
WHEREAS, As a dedicated philanthropist, Kobe was deeply
involved with various organizations, charities and causes around
the world; and
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