Kobe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 1978 to Pamela and Joe Bryant. I have two sisters, Shaya and Sharia, who are both great athletes.

The reason I have the name Kobe is unusual, and I love it. As part of our family lore, my grandmom told me when she first heard my name, she thought, "What in the world were Pam and Joe thinking naming (me) Kobe; perhaps they'll have time to change it before the birth certificate is registered. Maybe they'll give him a more conventional name." I'm happy to report my parents prevailed. My name's international flavor has served me well as I travel the globe playing basketball. I received a letter from Ghana, and the young man who wrote said his father's name is Kobe. Also, last year when I visited Japan, I got to visit the Kobe region, the source of my name. I loved Japan. It was beautiful and majestic, and the people of Kobe, who are still recovering from the earthquake of 1997, were friendly and quite knowledgeable about the NBA.

As a schoolboy, I learned the fundamentals of basketball in Italy, but when I was eight or nine, basketball was not my only sport of choice. I was playing a lot of soccer at that age, too. I loved both sports. I think two things contributed to my choosing to concentrate solely on basketball. One, my annual trips back to Philly to visit with family and friends, and two, my growth spurt beginning around age 11.

In Philly, soccer was not big. Basketball was. The only problem was the play was different on the Philly courts from anything I'd seen in Italy. At first, I didn't understand the school-yard rules, the trash talking, the machismo. But I learned fast how to handle myself playing Philly ball. I'd say the first big jump in my basketball skills occurred from when I was about 11 to age 13. It was at age 13 that I knew I could play with anyone. It was also at this age that I could finally beat my sisters, who are both outstanding basketball and volleyball players. My dad could still handle me, but he started cheating around this time, leaning on me, using his weight advantage to post me up. He cut me no slack. This went on until I was about 14 or 15 years old, when I finally beat my dad one-on-one.

High school was a big transition for me. Our team went from worst to first, to a state championship during my four years at Lower Merion. It was during the summer before my senior year that I knew my dream of going straight to the NBA from High School was a possibility. I put up good stats at the adidas abcd camp and was named High School Player of the Year. I was lucky enough to be able to work out with the 76ers. This came about because Coach Lucas' daughter attended Lower Merion High School, and she casually mentioned to her dad that he ought to see me play. Well, he did, and afterward he allowed me to work out with the 76ers.

From the time I was 10 or 11, I'd dreamed of going straight to the NBA from high school. During the spring and fall of 1996, I knew my dream could come true. It was when I was on the court with NBA players that I began to feel, "This is something I can do. This is possible for me." It was also during this time that I met Joe Carbone, an assistant trainer with the 76ers. Joe was generous enough to help me with my workouts. Later, when I went pro, Joey was the first person I hired. He is still with me.

Each year, I set out to improve my skills over the prior season. My high school coach, Gregg Downer "I think that is the highest praise a coach can give a player."

Since my arrival in the NBA, I've set about improving each year and I've been able to do that. My numbers last year: 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3 .8 assists were an improvement over my prior year, and my goal is to do even better this year. Each season has been a learning and growth opportunity, and you can bet I'm excited about working with Phil Jackson and Tex Winters, two masters of the game.

Injuring my hand during the first preseason game was a big disappointment, but I'm keeping strong. I'm doing everything the doctor tells me to do. I still work out with the team, and I fully expect to be playing before the end of November.

Kobe Bryant first started turning heads on the basketball court when he was in middle school. His talents dominated the game so much that high schools from all around the Philadelphia area watched him grow up. The almost six-foot tall seventh grader definitely had the make-up and genes for the game, as his dad was former NBA forward, Joe Bryant. Kobe developed his basketball skills under the watchful eye of his father, helping his mission to become a professional basketball player. He worked daily on his game, watching video, playing in the playgrounds and listening to his father.

"He was extremely mature for his age and his knowledge of the game of basketball was beyond his years," remembers his high school Athletic Director Tom McGovern.

When he entered high school at Lower Marion in Philadelphia, Kobe was a highly touted recruit. He proved that he had the skills and work ethic to be a star at the next level and the scouts noticed this. Kobe didn't let anybody down either, as he played on the varsity basketball team his freshman year. He wouldn't immediately be a superstar, though. Rather it was the countless hours of early morning workouts by himself in the gymnasium that escalated Kobe's talents.

"I remember I used to come to school about an hour and a half before it started and work out in the gym. I remember hearing the basketball bouncing like people were playing while I was in the weight room. I would check to see who was playing and it would be Kobe completely drenched in sweat, playing by himself. He was not just shooting either; he was practicing his dribbling, his conditioning and everything. He had a tremendous work ethic," McGovern added

Kobe became a better player every year he played at Lower Marion and soon enough, he had developed into one of the premier talents at the high school level. He sold out the games everywhere he played during his junior and senior years and he didn't disappoint anyone. He once packed the school gym so much that it caused a traffic jam on the main highway just outside the school.

He went on to finish his high school career as the all-time leading point scorer in Pennsylvania history with a total of 2, 883 points. Kobe's highly decorated high school career made him the 13th overall choice by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA draft.

The Bryant family has been close knit since day one. They have always been a great support system for each other. Kobe's dad, Joe Bryant, played professional basketball for various teams around the world, and this meant a lot of traveling. Kobe, his mom and two sisters moved around with Joe and always made the most of their living situation.

When Kobe was born, his dad was playing as a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia is where Kobe would spend most of his childhood, and no matter where the family is living, it is still the place that Kobe refers to as home. After Philadelphia, Joe was traded to Houston, where he played for the Rockets. So, the family was off to Texas. After a brief career in Houston, the family moved to La Jolla, California, since Joe was traded to the San Diego Clippers. The biggest move happened after San Diego though, as the family moved to Italy, where Joe capped off his playing career with eight years in the professional Italian league. In Italy, Kobe welcomed the new language and culture, but still made annual trips back to Philadelphia to see his friends and family.