And they were right. Kobe Bryant has won many honors and awards including four NBA Championship victories.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

He has coached some of the NBA's best basketball players, including Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

VOA: special.2009.07.10

Kobe attended Lower Merion High School and quickly became one of the school's top basketball players.

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Because of his extraordinary skills, sports critics compared Kobe Bryant to basketball great Michael Jordan.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Kobe received good grades as a student and received many financial offers from major universities.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Kobe Bryant was named most valuable player in the finals for the second straight year.

VOA: special.2010.06.25

Kobe Bryant began his career in the National Basketball Association in nineteen ninety-six.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Six-year-old Kobe learned to speak Italian and started playing basketball and soccer.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Kobe Bryant has been the top scorer is many basketball games.

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His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe,Japan.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Kobe Bryant was born in nineteen seventy-eight in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.

VOA: special.2009.11.20

Kobe Bryant has achieved other successes in basketball.

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I wouldn't want to be his teammate. I think if I was a Lakers fan or Kobe was on my team that would be something I'd really look forward to as a sports fan.

VOA: special.2010.06.25

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant took home his fourth NBA crown and was voted the finals Most Valuable Player.

VOA: standard.2009.12.24

There were also tributes from sports stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.

VOA: standard.2009.07.07