Young kobe bryant pictures and biography

Professional basketball player

At a Glance…

High School Standout

Bypassed College for the Pros

Faced Reality Check

Sources

At the age of 18 years 2 months and 11 days, Kobe Bryant became the youngest man ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Bryant bypassed college and moved straight from high school to the NBA, a feat accomplished by only 27 other players in the long history of the league. Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on July 11, 1996, Bryant soon found himself traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he became the youngest player ever to make that West Coast team.

He has been a Laker ever since, joining stars such as Shaquille O’Neal and Nick Van Exel in the team lineup.

Basketball players who have had some college experience often find the move to the NBA a tough adjustment.

How much harder it must be, then, to arrive in the league as an 18-year-old high school graduate. Bryant’s transition was hardly a sm