Kobe Bryant Quiz
Lower Merion, the 1996 draft, five rings and an Oscar: 15 questions on Kobe Bryant.
In which country did Kobe Bryant spend much of his childhood while his father played professionally?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Italy
Kobe moved to Italy at age six when his father Joe Bryant left the NBA to play there, living in cities including Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Pistoia and Reggio Emilia until 1991. He grew up speaking fluent Italian.
He named his daughter Gianna in a nod to those years and remained a passionate supporter of AC Milan.
Which Pennsylvania high school did Kobe Bryant attend before jumping straight to the NBA in 1996?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Lower Merion
Kobe starred at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, just outside Philadelphia, leading the Aces to a state championship in 1996 and becoming the top high school player in the country.
Lower Merion named its gymnasium after him in 2010, and his school jersey later sold at auction for well over 100,000 dollars.
Which team drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996 before trading his rights to the Lakers?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets took Kobe with the 13th pick, then sent him to Los Angeles for center Vlade Divac in a deal that Lakers executive Jerry West had arranged in advance.
Divac briefly threatened to retire rather than report to Charlotte, which almost scuppered the trade.
How many Olympic gold medals did Kobe Bryant win with Team USA?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
2
Kobe won gold at Beijing 2008 with the Redeem Team and again at London 2012. He never played at an Olympics before 2008, having missed the 2004 Games in Athens.
His fourth quarter against Spain in the 2008 final, including a four-point play, is remembered as the moment the Redeem Team sealed gold.
In which two years was Kobe Bryant named NBA Finals MVP?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
2009 and 2010
Kobe was named Finals MVP in 2009 against Orlando and 2010 against Boston. Shaquille O'Neal took the award in all three of their shared championships from 2000 to 2002.
His 2010 Game 7 was famously ugly, 6 of 24 from the field, but he grabbed 15 rebounds in the win.
In which year did Kobe Bryant win his only regular season MVP award?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
2008
Kobe won the 2008 MVP after leading the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference, averaging 28.3 points. He had finished in the top five in voting several times before without winning.
The Lakers lost the 2008 Finals to Boston in six games, then bounced back to win the next two championships in 2009 and 2010.
Which team did the Lakers defeat in the 2010 NBA Finals to give Kobe Bryant his fifth title?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Boston Celtics
The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in seven games, avenging their 2008 Finals defeat. Kobe scored 23 points in Game 7 and later called it the most satisfying of his five championships.
It was the 12th Finals meeting between the two franchises, the most of any rivalry in NBA history.
For which animated short film did Kobe Bryant win an Academy Award in 2018?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Dear Basketball
Dear Basketball, animated by Disney legend Glen Keane with music by John Williams, turned Kobe's 2015 retirement poem into a five-minute film. It won Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 Oscars.
Kobe became the first professional athlete to win an Academy Award, while Detail was the name of the ESPN+ film breakdown show he hosted after retiring.
Which team did Kobe Bryant and the Lakers beat in the 2001 NBA Finals?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Lakers beat Allen Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers in five games, losing only Game 1 in overtime. Kobe averaged 24.6 points in the series against the team from his home city.
That Lakers team went 15 and 1 in the playoffs, the best postseason record ever at the time.
Against which team did Kobe Bryant score 62 points in only three quarters in December 2005?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Dallas Mavericks
Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2005, outscoring the entire Dallas team 62 to 61 at that point. He sat out the fourth quarter with the game decided.
Just a month later he scored 81 against Toronto, the second-highest total in NBA history.
Which All-Star Weekend contest did Kobe Bryant win as an 18-year-old rookie in 1997?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Slam Dunk Contest
Kobe won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland with a between-the-legs dunk in the final round, becoming the youngest champion in the event's history.
He never entered the dunk contest again, saying later that one win was enough and that he preferred to be remembered for games.
What was the nickname of Kobe Bryant's father Joe, which inspired Kobe's middle name?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jellybean
Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant played eight NBA seasons for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets, and his nickname gave Kobe the middle name Bean. The name is also behind the Kobe Bean Bryant brand.
Kobe's first name came from the Japanese beef his parents saw on a restaurant menu before he was born.
How many times was Kobe Bryant selected to the NBA All-Star Game?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
18
Kobe was an All-Star 18 times, every season from 1998 to 2016 except the lockout-shortened 1999 season when no game was played. He won the All-Star Game MVP award four times.
His 18 selections were the second most in NBA history when he retired, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19.
In which year did the Lakers retire both of Kobe Bryant's jersey numbers?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
2017
The Lakers retired Nos. 8 and 24 together on December 18, 2017, in a halftime ceremony against the Golden State Warriors. Kobe is the only player to have two numbers retired by one NBA franchise.
He wore No. 8 for his first 10 seasons and No. 24 for his last 10, and said he saw them as two different careers.
Which date did the city of Los Angeles declare Kobe Bryant Day in 2016?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
August 24
Los Angeles declared August 24 as Kobe Bryant Day in 2016, because 8/24 combines his two jersey numbers. The date is now marked by fans around the world every year.
Orange County later added its own Kobe Bryant Day on the same date, recognizing his years living in Newport Beach.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Kobe Bryant Quiz
Kobe Bryant went from a high school gym outside Philadelphia to five NBA championships, 18 All-Star selections and two Olympic gold medals. Along the way he scored 62 points in three quarters, won a Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie and, after retiring, picked up an Academy Award.
These 15 questions follow his life in order: the childhood years in Italy, the draft night trade that sent him to Los Angeles, the title runs of 2000 to 2010, and the honors that followed. The first few are easy for any NBA fan; the later ones are for people who know why his middle name is Bean.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many championships did Kobe Bryant win?
Five, all with the Los Angeles Lakers: three straight from 2000 to 2002 alongside Shaquille O'Neal, then back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 when he was Finals MVP both times.
Why did Kobe Bryant grow up in Italy?
His father Joe Bryant played professional basketball in Italy from 1984 to 1991, so Kobe spent much of his childhood there and became fluent in Italian.
Did Kobe Bryant really win an Oscar?
Yes. His animated short Dear Basketball, based on his retirement poem, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in March 2018.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- In which country did Kobe Bryant spend much of his childhood while his father played professionally?
Italy Kobe moved to Italy at age six when his father Joe Bryant left the NBA to play there, living in cities including Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Pistoia and Reggio Emilia until 1991. He grew up speaking fluent Italian. He named his daughter Gianna in a nod to those years and remained a passionate supporter of AC Milan. - Which Pennsylvania high school did Kobe Bryant attend before jumping straight to the NBA in 1996?
Lower Merion Kobe starred at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, just outside Philadelphia, leading the Aces to a state championship in 1996 and becoming the top high school player in the country. Lower Merion named its gymnasium after him in 2010, and his school jersey later sold at auction for well over 100,000 dollars. - Which team drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996 before trading his rights to the Lakers?
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets took Kobe with the 13th pick, then sent him to Los Angeles for center Vlade Divac in a deal that Lakers executive Jerry West had arranged in advance. Divac briefly threatened to retire rather than report to Charlotte, which almost scuppered the trade. - How many Olympic gold medals did Kobe Bryant win with Team USA?
2 Kobe won gold at Beijing 2008 with the Redeem Team and again at London 2012. He never played at an Olympics before 2008, having missed the 2004 Games in Athens. His fourth quarter against Spain in the 2008 final, including a four-point play, is remembered as the moment the Redeem Team sealed gold. - In which two years was Kobe Bryant named NBA Finals MVP?
2009 and 2010 Kobe was named Finals MVP in 2009 against Orlando and 2010 against Boston. Shaquille O'Neal took the award in all three of their shared championships from 2000 to 2002. His 2010 Game 7 was famously ugly, 6 of 24 from the field, but he grabbed 15 rebounds in the win. - In which year did Kobe Bryant win his only regular season MVP award?
2008 Kobe won the 2008 MVP after leading the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference, averaging 28.3 points. He had finished in the top five in voting several times before without winning. The Lakers lost the 2008 Finals to Boston in six games, then bounced back to win the next two championships in 2009 and 2010. - Which team did the Lakers defeat in the 2010 NBA Finals to give Kobe Bryant his fifth title?
Boston Celtics The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in seven games, avenging their 2008 Finals defeat. Kobe scored 23 points in Game 7 and later called it the most satisfying of his five championships. It was the 12th Finals meeting between the two franchises, the most of any rivalry in NBA history. - For which animated short film did Kobe Bryant win an Academy Award in 2018?
Dear Basketball Dear Basketball, animated by Disney legend Glen Keane with music by John Williams, turned Kobe's 2015 retirement poem into a five-minute film. It won Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 Oscars. Kobe became the first professional athlete to win an Academy Award, while Detail was the name of the ESPN+ film breakdown show he hosted after retiring. - Which team did Kobe Bryant and the Lakers beat in the 2001 NBA Finals?
Philadelphia 76ers The Lakers beat Allen Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers in five games, losing only Game 1 in overtime. Kobe averaged 24.6 points in the series against the team from his home city. That Lakers team went 15 and 1 in the playoffs, the best postseason record ever at the time. - Against which team did Kobe Bryant score 62 points in only three quarters in December 2005?
Dallas Mavericks Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2005, outscoring the entire Dallas team 62 to 61 at that point. He sat out the fourth quarter with the game decided. Just a month later he scored 81 against Toronto, the second-highest total in NBA history. - Which All-Star Weekend contest did Kobe Bryant win as an 18-year-old rookie in 1997?
Slam Dunk Contest Kobe won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland with a between-the-legs dunk in the final round, becoming the youngest champion in the event's history. He never entered the dunk contest again, saying later that one win was enough and that he preferred to be remembered for games. - What was the nickname of Kobe Bryant's father Joe, which inspired Kobe's middle name?
Jellybean Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant played eight NBA seasons for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets, and his nickname gave Kobe the middle name Bean. The name is also behind the Kobe Bean Bryant brand. Kobe's first name came from the Japanese beef his parents saw on a restaurant menu before he was born. - How many times was Kobe Bryant selected to the NBA All-Star Game?
18 Kobe was an All-Star 18 times, every season from 1998 to 2016 except the lockout-shortened 1999 season when no game was played. He won the All-Star Game MVP award four times. His 18 selections were the second most in NBA history when he retired, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19. - In which year did the Lakers retire both of Kobe Bryant's jersey numbers?
2017 The Lakers retired Nos. 8 and 24 together on December 18, 2017, in a halftime ceremony against the Golden State Warriors. Kobe is the only player to have two numbers retired by one NBA franchise. He wore No. 8 for his first 10 seasons and No. 24 for his last 10, and said he saw them as two different careers. - Which date did the city of Los Angeles declare Kobe Bryant Day in 2016?
August 24 Los Angeles declared August 24 as Kobe Bryant Day in 2016, because 8/24 combines his two jersey numbers. The date is now marked by fans around the world every year. Orange County later added its own Kobe Bryant Day on the same date, recognizing his years living in Newport Beach.
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