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SI's 100 Best Kobe Bryant Photos

Kobe Bryant retired as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. In his 20-year NBA career, Kobe was named an All-Star 18 times and is currently third all time on the NBA scoring list. He won five NBA titles, two finals MVPs, one regular season MVP and he was an 11-time All-NBA first team. The leading scorer in Los Angeles Lakers history, Kobe has also led the 2008 and 2012 US Olympic team to gold medals. In his post-playing days, Bryant has become an entertainment mogul. His "Dear Basketball" short feature won an Oscar in March for best Animated Short Film. In celebration of both Bryant’s 40th birthday on Aug. 23, 2018, we present SI's 100 best photos of the "Black Mamba" through the years.
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SI's 100 Best Kobe Bryant Photos

Kobe Bryant

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March 3, 1997

Kobe Bryant

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Oct. 24, 1997

Amanda Bynes, Kobe Bryant and Christy Knowings

1998-0116-Kobe-Bryant-Amanda-Bynes-All-That-05817243.jpg

Jan. 16, 1998 — All That

Kel Mitchell, Kobe Bryant and Kenan Thompson

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Jan. 16, 1998 — All That

Kobe Bryant with his sisters, Shaya and Sharia

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Feb. 1, 1998

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 1, 1998

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 1, 1998

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 1, 1998

Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 1, 1998

Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

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Feb. 8, 1998

Kobe Bryant

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March 4, 1998

Kobe Bryant and John Stockton

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April 19, 1998

Kobe Bryant

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May 18, 1998 — Western Conference Finals, Game 2

Kobe Bryant

1998-0601-Kobe-Bryant-079117368.jpg

May 22, 1998 — Western Conference Finals, Game 3

Kobe Bryant and Scottie Pippen

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Feb. 5, 1999

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 5, 1999

Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon

1999-0228-Kobe-Bryant-Hakeem-Olajuwon-LAK03S.jpg

Feb. 28, 1999

Kobe Bryant

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Dec. 3, 1999

Kobe Bryant

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Dec. 14, 1999

Kobe Bryant

1999-1226-Kobe-Bryant-079117370.jpg

Dec. 26, 1999

Kobe Bryant

2000-0117-Kobe-Bryant-079117358.jpg

Jan. 17, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 22, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 26, 2000

Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson

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March 31, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 12, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 12, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 12, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 12, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 12, 2000

Kobe Bryant

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April 27, 2000 — Western Conference First Round, Game 2

Kobe Bryant

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June 4, 2000 — Western Conference Finals, Game 7

Kobe Bryant and Mark Jackson

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June 14, 2000 — NBA Finals, Game 4

Kobe Bryant

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June 14, 2000 — NBA Finals, Game 4

Kobe Bryant and Dale Davis

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June 19, 2000 — NBA Finals, Game 6

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal

2000-0619-Kobe-Bryant-Shaquille-O'Neal-01065305.jpg

June 19, 2000 — NBA Finals, Game 6

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal

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June 19, 2000 — NBA Finals, Game 6

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 10, 2001 — NBA All-Star Game

Kobe Bryant and Scottie Pippen

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April 22, 2001 — Western Conference First Round, Game 1

Kobe Bryant, Rasheed Wallace, Stacey Augmon and Shaquille O'Neal

2001-0422-Kobe-Bryant-Shaquille-O'Neal-01233643.jpg

April 22, 2001 — Western Conference First Round, Game 1

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson

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April 29, 2001 — Western Conference First Round, Game 3

Kobe Bryant and Doug Christie

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May 8, 2001 — Western Conference Semifinals, Game 2

Kobe Bryant and David Robinson

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May 19, 2001 — Western Conference Finals, Game 1

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant

2001-0601-Shaquille-O'Neal-Kobe-Bryant-001233014m.jpg

June 1, 2001

Kobe Bryant and Dikembe Mutombo

2001-0613-Kobe-Bryant-Dikembe-Mutombo-001233948.jpg

June 13, 2001 — NBA Finals, Game 4

Kobe Bryant and Chris Kaman

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Feb. 4, 2002

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 10, 2002 — NBA All-Star Game

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 24, 2002

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant

2002-0401-Shaquille-O'Neal-Kobe-Bryant-001250663.jpg

March 1, 2002

Kobe Bryant and Derek Anderson

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April 28, 2002 — Western Conference First Round, Game 1

Kobe Bryant and Bobby Jackson

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June 2, 2002 — Western Conference Finals, Game 7

Kobe Bryant and Aaron Williams

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June 5, 2002 — NBA Finals, Game 1

Kobe Bryant

2002-0612-Kobe-Bryant-001254897rFinal.jpg

June 12, 2002 — NBA Finals, Game 4

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal

2002-0617-Kobe-Bryant-Shaquille-O'Neal-079117352.jpg

June 9, 2002 — NBA Finals, Game 3

Kobe Bryant

2002-1111-Kobe-Bryant-079117344.jpg

Nov. 11, 2002

Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming

2003-0127-Kobe-Bryant-Yao-Ming-079117347.jpg

Jan. 27, 2003

Chauncey Billups, Derek Fisher, Tayshaun Prince, Kobe Bryant, Devean George, Richard Hamilton, Karl Malone and Rasheed Wallace

2004-0608-Chauncey-Billups-Derek-Fisher-Tayshaun-Prince-Kobe-Bryant-Devean-George-Richard-Hamilton-Karl-Malone-Rasheed-Wallace-001324762_RT8.jpg

June 8, 2004 — NBA Finals, Game 2

Kobe Bryant

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Jan. 13, 2005

Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal

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Feb. 20, 2005 — NBA All-Star Game

Kobe Bryant, Chris Kaman, Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley

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Nov. 18, 2005

Kobe Bryant and DeSagana Diop

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Dec. 20, 2005

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal

2006-0116-Kobe-Bryant-Shaquille-O'Neal-014728871.jpg

Jan. 16, 2006

Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan

2006-0310-Kobe-Bryant-Tim-Duncan-015199341.jpg

March 10, 2006

Kobe Bryant

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April 30, 2006 — Western Conference First Round, Game 4

Kobe Bryant

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Feb. 11, 2007

Kobe Bryant, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and LeBron James

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Jan. 27, 2008

Kobe Bryant

2008-0423-Kobe-Bryant-opb7-15756-rawfinalfinal.jpg

April 23, 2008 — Western Conference First Round, Game 2

Kobe Bryant

2008-0523-Kobe-Bryant-opfg-2784-mid.jpg

May 23, 2008 — Western Conference Finals, Game 2

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

2008-0630-Kobe-Bryant-LeBron-James-076337078.jpg

June 30, 2008

Kobe Bryant

2008-0820-Kobe-Bryant-opgw-16417-mid.jpg

Aug. 20, 2008 — Beijing Olympics

Kobe Bryant, LeBron Jame,s Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony

2008-0824-Kobe-Bryant-LeBron-James-Dwyane-Wade-Carmelo-Anthony-opgw-27729.jpg

Aug. 24, 2008 — Beijing Olympics

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant

2009-0215-Shaquille-O'Neal-Kobe-Bryant-ophd-94286.jpg

Feb. 15, 2009 — NBA All-Star Game

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher

2009-0504-Kobe-Bryant-Derek-Fisher-ophd-137775.jpg

May 4, 2009 — Western Conference Semifinals, Game 1

Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant

2009-0506-Kobe-Bryant-Yao-Ming-ophd-139067.jpg

May 6, 2009 — Western Conference Semifinals, Game 2

Kobe Bryant

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May 19, 2009 — Western Conference Finals, Game 1

Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony

2009-0519-Kobe-Bryant-Carmelo-Anthony-opme-5440.jpg

May 19, 2009 — Western Conference Finals, Game 1

Kobe Bryant

2009-0529-Kobe-Bryant-opme-17202.jpg

May 29, 2009 — Western Conference Finals, Game 6

Kobe Bryant and Mickael Pietrus

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June 9, 2009 — NBA Finals, Game 3

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol

2009-0614-Kobe-Bryant-Pau-Gasol-oph9-97496-rawfinal.jpg

June 14, 2009 — NBA Finals, Game 5

Kobe Bryant with his father, Joe

2009-0621-Kobe-Bryant-father-Joe-opme-39368.jpg

June 21, 2009 — Angels-Dodgers game

Kobe Bryant

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March 25, 2010

Kobe Bryant

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April 27, 2010 — Western Conference First Round, Game 5

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo

2010-0610-Kobe-Bryant-Kevin-Garnett-Rajon-Rondo-oprm-32038.jpg

June 10, 2010 — NBA Finals, Game 4

Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo

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June 15, 2010 — NBA Finals, Game 6

Kobe Bryant

2010-0617-Kobe-Bryant-opoc-88470-rawfinal.jpg

June 17, 2010 — NBA Finals, Game 7

Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan

2011-0203-Kobe-Bryant-Tim-Duncan-opy2-88143-rawfinal.jpg

Feb. 3, 2011

Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen

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Feb. 10, 2011

Kobe Bryant

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April 26, 2011 — Western Conference First Round, Game 5

Kobe Bryant

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March 4, 2012

Kobe Bryant

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May 18, 2012 — Western Conference Semifinals, Game 3

Kobe Bryant

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Aug. 6, 2012 — London Olympics

Kobe Bryant

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Nov. 9, 2012

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

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Feb. 17, 2013 — NBA All-Star Game

Kobe Bryant and Josh Smith

2013-0303-Kobe-Bryant-Josh-Smith-op5r-98015.jpg

March 3, 2013

Kobe Bryant and Serge Ibaka

2013-0305-Kobe-Bryant-Serge-Ibaka-op5x-40045_rawfinal.jpg

March 5, 2013

Kobe Bryant

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Oct. 9, 2013

Kobe Bryant

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July 18, 2014

Kobe Bryant

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July 18, 2014

Kobe Bryant

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July 18, 2014

Kobe Bryant

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July 18, 2014

D'Angelo Russell and Kobe Bryant

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Sept. 30, 2015

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