英语名人堂：科比·比恩·布莱恩特

科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)，1978年8月23日出生于美国宾夕法尼亚州费城，前美国职业篮球运动员，司职得分后卫/小前锋(锋卫摇摆人)，整个NBA生涯(1996年-2016年)一直效力于NBA洛杉矶湖人队，是前美国职业篮球运动员乔·布莱恩特的儿子。

科比是NBA最好的得分手之一，突破、投篮、罚球、三分球他都驾轻就熟，几乎没有进攻盲区，单场比赛81分的个人纪录就有力地证明了这一点。除了疯狂的得分外，科比的组织能力也很出众，经常担任球队进攻的第一发起人。另外科比还是联盟中最好的防守人之一，贴身防守非常具有压迫性。

2016年4月14日，在结束了生涯最后一场主场对阵爵士的常规赛之后，科比·布莱恩特正式宣布退役。

Kobe Bryant is an American All-Star basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant became famous in 1996 as the first shooting guard in basketball history to be drafted out of high school. He has helped the Lakers win three back-to-back championships and has twice been the NBA’s leading scorer. He was the season's MVP in 2007-08.

Bryant was born in 1978 in Philadelphia. He was named after the beef famous in Kobe, Japan. His father was a Philadelphia 76ers player. When Bryant was six, his family moved to Italy. He learned to play soccer and once considered becoming a professional soccer player. Back in the USA, heexcelled in high school basketball and joined the NBA, aged 17.

Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996. His first three seasons were spent coming off the bench but he still managed to become a favourite with fans. From 2000, Bryant was one of the top shooting guards in the league. He helped the Lakers win NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and entered basketball’s elite. He has become a cornerstone of the Lakers team.

The Lakers did not reach the NBA Finals again until 2008, when they finished runner-up. Bryant continued his high scoring but had trouble on and off the court. His coach called him ‘uncoachable’ and he hit the headlines after being accused of rape. In 2007, Bryant became the youngest player to reach 20,000 points. He remains one of basketball’s true greats.