Kobe was born in Italy and stayed there for eight years. He belongs to a family of basketball players. Bryant is the son of NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and his wife Pamela Cox is sister of NBA player John "Chubby" Cox. He has two elder sisters Sharia and Shaya. The family spent the 1991-92 European season in France after Joe signed a new team. This time was one of the hardest for the kids as Kobe and his sisters endured a two-hour daily commute to an international school in Switzerland. Things got better when Joe accepted the coaching job at La Salle, the family shifted back and bought a house in Ardmore 10 miles northeast of Philadelphia. He was one of the Sonny Hill League’s top players during the summer of 1992. By his junior year Kobe felt comfortable in his surroundings. He also began to make major strides in hoops career.

Kobe grew up eating, sleeping and breathing basketball. By his third birthday he was already telling people that he will become an NBA star. Kobe was helped to a great extent by his grandparents to reach the destination he is at today. They recorded games every week and sent it to Kobe. The father son duo watched these videos together. Kobe got a chance to hone his skills each summer, when the Bryants flew back to visit family and friends in Philadelphia. When he gained a height, (6’5”) it was for him to decide what position he has to reach in the court and Kobe finally decided to place himself in the backcourt. From that day he started to think and practice for guard position. Kobe is married to Vanessa Cornejo Ubrieta Laine and the couple is blessed with a daughter Natalia, who was born on January 19, 2003. Kobe went straight from high school to professional basketball, Bryant was a 13th overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets of the 1996 NBA draft.