Kobe Bryant Net Worth

Kobe Bryant was born in August 1978 and died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash. Kobe Bryant net worth was $600 million before his death. Kobe was a 2X NBA Finals MVP 5X NBA Champion and 18X NBA All-Star and was named after the famous kobe beef. He was known for being one of the best players in the world. He was also among the most paid athletes even after his retirement. He was 6ft 5in and a citizen of the United States of America.

Kobe earned millions of dollars in NBA salary and other endorsements during his career. He also made great business investments, and during his death, he had equity of $200 million in BodyArmour. The NBA most valuable player at Lakers had invested $6 million in this project 6 years earlier. However, after Kobe’s death, Coca-cola acquired total ownership of the venture.

Early Life

As mentioned earlier, Kobe Bryant was born in Pennslyvania in 1978. Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, was one of the players of the 76ers and retired from NBA when Kobe was 6 years old. The family moved to Italy, and Joe, Kobe’s father, continued to play in the European league. Kobe Bryant would come to the US during the summer holidays to participate in basketball leagues. After Joe Bryant retired from sports, the family returned to Philadelphia, where Kobe went to Lower Merion High School and focused on his high school career.

During his life in high school, the American professional basketball player led a basketball team that, in turn, made it to the state championship for the first time in 53 years. He learned a lot about the game, contributing to his success in his playing career. The NBA legend was named the basketballer of the year at Gatorade’s Men’s National Basketball. He was the youngest player in NBA history.

Interesting Facts about Kobe

Kobe’s first NBA contract was worth $3.5 million. Kobe joined the Charlotte Hornets but was immediately traded to the Lakers at 17. Due to his age, the parents had to co-sign the deal.

During his third year at the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe began to shine as a reliable basketballer. The NBA star earned the nickname “Black Mamba” from his teammates when he was at the LA Lakers, and he used this name to separate his personal life from professional life.

The Black Mamba contract with the LA Lakers in 2013 was worth $48 million and lasted 2 years.

The five-time NBA champion of the Lakers highest amount of money received during one season was $30 million. This happened from 2013 to 2014, whereby Kobe only appeared in 6 games.

Kobe finished his NBA career with the Lakers with an average of 5.2 rebounds, 25 points, and 4.7 assists. Between 2000 and 2001, Kobe made $10 million and averaged 28.5 points. During this time, Kobe was considered the best shooting guard. This contributed to the Laker’s championship win in 2001. The NBA star won 5 NBA titles while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers team.

He was the youngest individual to participate in an all-star game at the age of 19 years. This played a major role in increasing his fame in the world.

Kobe Bryant Total Career Earnings

While playing for the Los Angeles Lakers team with Lebron James, Kobe Bryant’s net worth increased by approximately $328 million earned in salary. In 2010, he signed a 3-year contract that earned him $90million. A contract extension signed in 2013 earned him $48.5 million. During his final year, Kobe earned a salary of $25million. He also earned approximately $350 million from lucrative endorsement deals, which makes his total career salary approximately $600 million.

In 1996, the NBA legend signed the Adidas endorsement worth $48 million. He also got endorsements from other companies such as Nike, Mcdonald’s, Lenovo, Turkish Airlines, Mercedes Benz, Panini, and Hublot. He also got endorsements in technology media and data.

In 2003, Kobe Bryant lost various endorsements following his sexual assault charges. Eventually, his most notable endorsement deals returned, making him a substantial amount of money and contributing to his net worth.

Kobe’s Career outside NBA

Kobe Bryant’s worth includes all the money-making activities and endorsements he participated in during his lifetime. The NBA played a major role in his earnings, but Kobe also engaged in other activities. For instance, in the 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals. In 2018, he won an academy award for his best animated short film, “Dear Basketball.”

Kobe’s Investments

Kobe Bryant’s net worth included an equity of $6 million in BodyArmour, which was owned fully by Coca-Cola after his death. However, his estate earned $400 million during the transaction by Coca-Cola to acquire full ownership.

In 2016, Kobe launched a company with Jeff Stibel, known as Bryant Stibel, a venture capital company. The company had a funding of $100 million, whose aim was to invest in technology, data, and media companies. Kobe invested in various companies and sports drinks, including websites such as LegalZoom and The Players Tribune. Bryant Stibel made millions of dollars, adding to Kobe’s worth. Kobe purchased various businesses, which also contributed to his earnings.

Personal Life

Kobe married the 17-year-old Vanessa Laine in 1999. The two met as the lady worked as a Video background dancer. During this time, Kobe was working on a musical album. They got engaged within the first 6 months of dating. The two married in 2001, but Kobe’s parents failed to attend the ceremony. During that time, his parents did not approve of Kobe marrying Vanessa.

In 2011, wife Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce but eventually, the couple reconciled. They had not signed a pre-nup, so the divorce would have affected Kobe’s worth by costing him approximately $150 million. The couple gave birth to 4 daughters, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri.

Death

Kobe, the NBA icon, died in 2020 in a tragic helicopter crash with a net worth of $600 million. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna also died in the crash. Seven others were on the helicopter and died on the spot. His death made headlines in media houses from different parts of the world. Celebrities from all over the world attended his memorial event with performances from famous musicians such as Beyonce. He has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

During the time of his death, Kobe Bryant was a great basketball player. He was able to dominate the league in a very short period. Kobe has made millions of dollars during his career, and he was able to invest the money in business ventures. Even at this early age, Kobe Bryant was earning 8 times more than a normal rookie would receive. Kobe Bryant net worth is a reflection of his lifetime achievements and career success like Mike Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. Vanessa continues to bear her husband’s legacy.

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