The Bryants' first daughter, Natalia, was born in January 2003. The birth resulted in a reconciliation between Bryant and his mother and father. Due to an ectopic being pregnant, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage within the spring of 2005. Their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore (also referred to as "Gigi"), was born in May 2006.

He remained the league's highest-paid player, although he accepted a discounted deal; he had been eligible to obtain an extension beginning at $32 million per year. Bryant resumed enjoying on December eight after lacking the season's first 19 video games. On December 17, Bryant matched his season excessive of 21 factors in a 96–92 win over Memphis, but he suffered a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee that was expected to sideline him for six weeks. He had performed six games since coming back from his Achilles damage, which included time at point guard after injuries to Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar. Bryant was averaging 13.eight points, 6.3 assists, and four.3 rebounds.

Bryant grew to become the oldest player to attain 60 or more factors in a game at 37 years and 234 days old. At the time of his announcement, he was second on the team in minutes (30.8) behind Jordan Clarkson and leading the staff with 16.7 subject objective makes an attempt per game, whereas averaging just 15.7 factors and shooting a career-low 31.5 p.c. In his press convention after the announcement, he acknowledged his declining abilities. "Even although I play like shit, I’ve worked really, actually hard to not play like crap and I do everything I probably can. And I be okay with that", he stated.

After finishing 50–32 within the common season, the Lakers floundered within the playoffs and misplaced within the Western Conference semi-finals in six games to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. The son of former NBA participant Joe Bryant, he was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. As a rookie, Bryant earned a popularity as a high-flyer by profitable the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. In the 1996 Western Conference Semifinals with the sport on the road, Bryant shot 4 airballs to the chagrin of his teammates and Laker followers. He later recounted in his "Muse" documentary that when he received again to Los Angeles, he went to a nearby highschool, and spent the whole day capturing within the health club. It was a defining second that modified the trajectory of his career with him popping out stronger the next season.

Chris Chester, a co-plaintiff who lost his 45-year-old spouse and 13-year-old daughter in the crash, settled for $19.ninety five million. Beginning in 2018, Bryant wrote, produced and hosted the television collection Detail, which aired for a quantity of seasons on ESPN and ESPN+. It featured his insights into the game of basketball and in-depth analyses of video games and individual gamers.

He was not included in the montages at the 2020 VMAs and Emmys, held later within the 12 months. The Lakers concluded the 2007–08 regular season with a 57–25 document, ending first within the Western Conference and setting up themselves for a first-round contest towards the Nuggets. In Game 1, Bryant, who mentioned he made himself a decoy through a lot of the recreation, scored 18 of his 32 points in the last eight minutes to maintain Los Angeles safely ahead. That made Denver the first 50-win group to be swept out of the primary spherical of the playoffs for the rationale that Memphis Grizzlies fell in four to the San Antonio Spurs in 2004.

The Lakers worked out at Southern Nazarene University, and Vanessa and I arrived close to the tip of the L.A. In change for the extra court docket time, I wore a Southern Nazarene University T-shirt within the clip. In his younger days, Bryant partied with a few of the greatest and brightest in the league and was friends with numerous celebs. His time in Italy may have influenced Bryant's love for Italian automobiles.

Previously, Bryant was respected but not beloved, and he was astonished on the cheers he was now receiving. Bryant later confirmed his desire for West's return to the franchise however denied stating that he would need to be traded if that didn't take place. Bryant was later proven in an notorious amateur video saying that heart Andrew Bynum should have been traded for All-Star Jason Kidd.