This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. Please clean it up to conform to a higher standard of quality, and to make it neutral in tone. (December 2011)

All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC. Early episodes were taped at the closed Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Orlando, but then moved to Hollywood at the Nickelodeon On Sunset theater (formerly the Earl Carrol Theatre), where shows like The Amanda Show, Kenan & Kel, and Drake & Josh were also filmed.

All That first aired on April 16, 1994, as a "sneak peek" and debuted as a regular series on December 24, 1994.^[1] It was also broadcast internationally, in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Spain and Canada.

All That lasted ten seasons before it was canceled in 2005. The last episode aired on October 22, 2005 on the Nickelodeon network. The show started out in the SNICK block until 2004, when the network converted the SNICK time-slot into a second night for TEENick. In fact, the second era castmembers would host SNICK as the "On Air Dare" would be played between shows during commercial breaks.

Cast[link]

Creative process[link]

Although Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin are credited as creators, the main creative force behind All That was Dan Schneider who became the showrunner of the series in the third season. All That marked the beginning of Schneider's prolific career in creating and writing hit television series for young audiences. The New York Times, in separate articles, referred to Dan Schneider as "the Norman Lear of children's television"^[2] and "the master of a television genre".^[3]

During Season 1, Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert were brought on as producers and continued working in that capacity through Season 3. The writing team advanced to Executive Producers/Head Writers for Seasons 4–6. Kopelow and Seifert continued their relationship with Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell by co-executive producing and head writing Kenan & Kel and eventually writing the feature film Good Burger (1997) with Schneider.

Format[link]

Borrowing heavily from the 1980s Canadian hit You Can't Do That on Television, All That featured a format of cold open, sketch-comedy pieces and a musical guest in its first six seasons and the final season. The cold opens took place in the green room five minutes before the show was to start. Usually, Kevin the Stage Manager (played by Kevin Kopelow) tries to rouse the cast members to preparation for the show by announcing "Five minutes!". Some of these cold opens included playing spin the bottle and having to kiss a cactus, a squid, or a chair; Kel Mitchell reenacting a fight on Kopelow; and guest star Mark Curry tying up Kenan Thompson and wearing his Superdude costume. All other seasons featured a weekly host introducing and occasionally participating in the various sketches and a musical guest, a format pioneered by Saturday Night Live.

Many of the sketches were original material, although Bill Cosby, Roseanne, Steve Urkel, Ross Perot, and Bill Clinton, were impersonated by Kenan Thompson, Katrina Johnson, Angelique Bates, and Alisa Reyes, respectively. The humor was very pre-teen-oriented; Josh Server would do things such as eat his own dandruff, eat a cereal called Lucky Germs or Fruit Poots, or appear on stage wearing only his underwear. From Season 7 onward, the humor was geared more toward younger viewers than the first six seasons.

In the first three seasons, All That used mostly urban musical guests, but in later seasons aimed for more pop and rock acts.

Green rooms[link]

In the beginning of each episode it would show some of the cast members in the greenroom. This has been done for every episode that they have made. Weird events would happen in the green room such as an evil clone of Jamie-Lynn Spears that's really a monster (Season 9), or an alien that comes for pudding (Season 5). Skits involving Kevin the stage manager or the Big Ear of Corn were common in the earlier seasons. In Seasons 1–6, the greenroom would have the All That logo painted on the wall and it also had a sign that said ON AIR. In Seasons 7–10, they would have a view of the logo outside and an elevator and it also had a sign that said "To The Stage:".

The greenroom in Season 1 was located on the set, which was mainly black with set equipment and a stairway to the backstage halls where the cast was also sometimes seen. The Green Room was also located in other parts of the studio(for example a meeting room). Season 2's greenroom was a lounging place for the cast members in which there were pop culture props.

Seasons 3-6's greenroom was the same when the show moved to Hollywood. Inside was the logo painted on the left wall, and couches, tables, chairs, and other pop culture props were seen, even two arcade video game machines. It also contains an ON-AIR light board above the door, where the cast leaves to go do the show, which they walk up a short staircase and hand rails. There is also an additional door on the right, were some cast members also appear in the green room.

Seasons 7-10's greenroom was seen as a classic Now hang out room. Inside contains a couch, a kitchen section on the elevated part, which is also where the door is located. There is also an elevator in this greenroom, that cast members can also appear from. Props, pictures, and room accessories are all located throughout the room as well. A platinum inch television screen is also seen on the left hand side, that always displays: An orange background with an orb that displays the All That logo (Season 7–8), sometimes an All That logo with a 7 behind it (part of Season 7). A red background with the regular logo with many 10s appearing and disappearing numerously (10th Anniversary). A light purple background with the All That logo displayed on it (Season 10).

Title sequences[link]

For every season, there is an All That title sequence at the beginning after the greenrooms. At first in Seasons 1–2; 3, the opening title was showing the cast and TLC on the classic '90s streets, playing handball, and going through each cast members name in alphabetical order. After Angelique's departure after Season 2, Amanda became a new member, so the title sequence was edited to include Amanda and remove Angelique.

In Seasons 4–5 title sequence, after Johnson and Reyes have left the show in Season 3, the show got a whole new title open. And now with new cast members, Danny, Christy, and Leon, the cast were seen walking down a classic red carpet, dressed in classic Hollywood outfits. After Season 4, when Lori Beth had left, the title sequence was edited to edit her out, respectively.

In Season 6 title sequence, after Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell left, the show had to do another title sequence. This time, cast members Nick Cannon and Mark Saul were credited, and Gabriel Iglesias was added to the cast. The cast were seen up front in the camera behind a multi-color room (green screen).

In Season 7 and 8's title sequences, the show had an all new cast, and they were seen in the opening titles in white clothing behind a black room, where the new looked All That logo was seen in neon colors. In Season 8, Jamie Lynn Spears was added as a new member of the show, and was also in white clothing as the others.

In the Season 9 title sequences, after the departure of Bryan Hearne, the cast of this season were seen behind the black room with the same kind of logo, but everyone is instead in red clothing, to mark the shows real color. Christina Kirkman joined the cast. Mid-way, Ryan Coleman joined the cast, and was added in. After this season, relaunch members Shane, Giovonnie, and Season 8 member Jamie left the show, and the show was caused to do another and final opening title.

For the tenth anniversary special, the producers compiled all the cast members' openings together, and placing a "10" for each of them. Each member was shown in either one of their title sequence appearances, but DeSena was the only one who was seen to have both of his appearances in the title sequence. Plus, at the end, the title quickly zooms center through each of the group endings of each season (1–2, 3, 4–5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

In the 10th season of All That's title, with new cast members Kianna Underwood and Denzel Whitaker, it showed the cast getting out of a red limousine, and walking down the red carpet, and talking to their fans and at the ending it showed the cast in front of the neon All That logo with cameras flashing. This opening was similar to season 4's.

Sketches[link]

• Good Burger is a recurring sketch that took place at a fast food restaurant. The cashier, Ed played by Kel Mitchell in Seasons 1–5 and Ryan Coleman in Season 9, was portrayed as a clueless teenager who always found a way to mess things up. A notable quote from Good Burger, stated by Kel in every episode, was "Welcome to Good Burger, home of the good burger, can I take your order?" When not dealing with a customer, he would bang on the cash register while singing "I'm a dude, she's a dude, he's a dude, 'cause we're all dudes. HEY!" Good Burger was later made into a 1997 feature film starring Mitchell reprising his role as Ed and Kenan Thompson as a new character named Dexter. Frequent customers include: Bernie Kibbitz (Josh Server), Lester Oaks, Construction Worker (Kenan Thompson), and Connie Muldoon (Lori Beth Denberg). (Seasons 1–5, 9–10)

• The Loud Librarian was played by Lori Beth Denberg, who would ironically yell out, "Quiet, this is a library!" along with various noisemakers such as foghorns or drums whenever the silence in her library was accidentally violated. (Seasons 2–4)
• Dullmont Jr. High School is a known sketch that has many characters that carried into varying sketches, but remained the same. At the school, strange things would happen, mainly due to the eccentric staff members. (Seasons 1–6)
• Everyday French with Pierre Escargot, in which Kenan Thompson would deliver comical French phrases while sitting in a bathtub, wearing a yellow raincoat, and playing with his rubber duck. (Seasons 1–5)

• Vital Information is a sketch in which Lori Beth Denberg for the first four seasons, Danny Tamberelli for seasons 5 and 6, and Lil' JJ in the tenth season deadpanned ridiculous sayings, usually three in a row.

Series history[link]

See also: history of All That by season: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 7, 8, 9, 10,

The run of All That can be divided into two parts: seasons one through six and seasons seven through ten (when the original cast was replaced by an entirely new cast).

Original era[link]

Season One – (1994–1995)[link]

This is the very first season of All That, which began in 1994–1995 with the pilot and 14 episodes.^[4][5] On April 16, 1994, Nickelodeon aired the pilot which introduced the first cast members: Angelique Bates, Lori Beth Denberg, Katrina Johnson, Kel Mitchell, Alisa Reyes, Josh Server, and Kenan Thompson. All That during this period also featured Kevin Kopelow, the Stage Manager which the cast members do something bad to him constantly, exclusively during the cold opens. The first season began airing and being broadcast from Orlando, Florida.^[6]

Season Two – (1995–1996)[link]

The second season of All That ran in 1995 to 1996 with 21 episodes aired. This season is similar to Season 1, because this season stars the same cast members and is also broadcast in Orlando, Florida. During Season 2, there have been the beginning of new skits for different cast members. After Season 2 ended, the show moved out of Florida and moved to Nickelodeon On Sunset (formerly The Aquarius Theater) in Hollywood. Season 2 was also the final season featuring Angelique Bates, due to her contract expiring.^[6]

Season Three – (1996–1997)[link]

In the third season of All That, Amanda Bynes joined the cast to replace the departing Angelique Bates. Bynes' characters and sketches included "Ask Ashley", "Space Sketch" (a Star Trek parody), "I Luv Lucy", and Meagen Marples, who loved to slap herself with liver.^[7] Although limited to small roles for part of the season, Bynes became a breakout star; "Ask Ashley" was a favorite among fans.^[6] About a year after Bynes' arrival, Katrina Johnson and Alisa Reyes left the show. Johnson left half-way because her contract expired, and Reyes left the show to pursue other acting work (Reyes would soon star in the TNBC sitcom One World in 1998). During the second half of Season 3, when Katrina Johnson left the show, only appearing in sketches taped before her departure, she was replaced by temporary cast member, Tricia Dickson.

Season Four – (1997–1998)[link]

Season 4 saw the entrance of three new faces: Christy Knowings, Leon Frierson, and Danny Tamberelli, and featuring cast member Zack McLemore, who joined for half a season. Tamberelli was the first cast member to star in another Nickelodeon series prior to All That, co-starring as Little Pete on the hit Nick series The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Tamberelli's characters and sketches included "Jack Campbell: Fat Cop", Hairy Spice from the Spice Boys, Cheeseburger Doyle: Private Eye, a talk show host named Francis the Caveman, and Vital Information host, succeeding Lori Beth Denberg in Season 5&6.^[7]

Knowings's sketches and characters included "Whateverrr!!" co-host Jessica, the nurse for unlikely dentist Dr. Bynes (played by Josh Server), and Miss Klump, the teacher when Lori Beth Denberg – who played teacher Miss Fingerly – had left the series. She also played Winter Wonders in a sketch called What Do You Do? This sketch was a parody of a game show on which several All That cast members had appeared as panelists, Figure It Out.^[7]

Frierson's characters and sketches included "Leroy & Fuzz", CJ of disco group CJ & the Cloudy Knights, and Billy Fuco – a boy who liked shouting "I'm Billy Foco!" He once appeared in a "Repairman" sketch in which he played Repairboy and offered Repairman a second opinion.^[7]

McLemore's characters included Mr. Trevell, a teacher at Dullmont Junior High that Miss Fingerly had a crush on, and the manager of CJ & the Cloudy Knights.

The entire Season 4 cast was, in alphabetical order, Amanda Bynes, Lori Beth Denberg, Leon Frierson, Christy Knowings, Kel Mitchell, Josh Server, Danny Tamberelli, and Kenan Thompson with featuring cast member Zack McLemore appearing sporadically. Christy Knowings and Danny Tamberelli are said to also be breakout stars of the new cast. Comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Farley made one of his last guest appearances on the show, right before his death in December 1997.

Season 4 was also Lori Beth Denberg's final season on the show. In a live chat on Nick.com, she reasoned that she left All That, because she "was getting older".^[8] Denberg would soon become a cast member of The Steve Harvey Show in 1998.

Season Five – (1998–1999)[link]

As the show was entering its fifth season, Danny Tamberelli succeeded Denberg in the "Vital Information" sketch, and Tamberelli was given a new set and a new desk unlike that of Denberg's "Vital Information". This season also bought in two new faces, Nick Cannon and Mark Saul.

Cannon's sketches and characters included Sweaty Spice from the Spice Boys; Latanya, a cashier at the convenience store Quick-N-Fast; and a bank robber in a superhero sketch called "Boring Man". Saul's sketches and characters included Stuart, who would kidnap – and then pose as – a hall monitor, a cashier, a judge, a postman, and even Ashley in an "Ask Ashley" sketch; Rineheart the Dancing Monkey Boy; Nigel Forrester, a spoof of Steve Irwin and Nigel Thornberry; Ricardo, a ladies' man, and Dr. Maybe, a parody of Dr. No.

All That celebrated its star-studded "100th episode" during this season, although it was actually the 85th episode to be produced. This one-hour special was one of the only episodes (other than the 10th anniversary) in the show's history produced live.^[9] The actual 100th episode occurred during a Season 6 episode.^[9] The Season 5 cast included, in alphabetical order: Amanda Bynes, Leon Frierson, Christy Knowings, Kel Mitchell, Josh Server, Danny Tamberelli, and Kenan Thompson featuring Nick Cannon & Mark Saul.

The 100th episode featured several celebrities: Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Clarissa Explains It All), Larisa Oleynik (The Secret World of Alex Mack), Robert Ri'chard (Cousin Skeeter), Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) as an audience member, and Britney Spears (in a taped video appearance; Spears was originally supposed to perform in person but had to back out due to a knee injury; Lauryn Hill took her place) all made appearances. Former cast member Lori Beth Denberg, wearing her traditional "Vital Information" outfit, made her final appearance on the show to do the sketch. Former cast members Angelique Bates, Katrina Johnson, and Alisa Reyes made brief appearances on the red carpet. The show continued on winning its first KCA for Favorite TV Show in 1999.^[10] Plus in 1999, Thompson became the host of Nickelodeon's Oh Yeah! Cartoons for the 2nd season.

Season Six and a temporary demise (2000)[link]

Season 6 began with new cast member Gabriel Iglesias, along with the departure of Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, who proceeded to start production of the final season of their own series Kenan and Kel. Also on many occasions during Season 6, Kevin Kopelow would appear a few times because of co-producing other Nick shows. It is also rumored that cast member Amanda Bynes was supposed to leave All That after Season 5 to continue working on The Amanda Show, but she returned for the season.

It was rumored that Josh Server wasn't exactly happy doing this season. This is probably because he was getting older and/or all the other original cast members (namely Bates, Denberg, Johnson, Mitchell, Reyes, Thompson) had left the show, leaving him and a few others to adjust to the changes. In addition to Server, it was also said that cast members Danny Tamberelli, and Christy Knowings wished to leave and explore other avenues. Later in 2000, Server became the host on Oh Yeah! Cartoons, taking Thompson's place for the third and final season. The show went on hiatus after a 14 episode season.

To keep the show running, the producers compiled a series called, "Best of All That", which were episodes featuring the Season 4 cast members: Amanda Bynes, Lori Beth Denberg, Leon Frierson, Christy Knowings, Kel Mitchell, Josh Server, Danny Tamberelli, and Kenan Thompson. After those eight episode, following were three episode called "Peas, Cheese, Bag of Chips" (that had skits featuring food), "Dates, Goats, and Romance" (which shows clips from skits that had goats, dates, love or even all three elements), and "Best of Music" (showing several musical performances from Season 6 only).

Eventually, Nickelodeon canceled All That for a short time. Josh Server became the longest serving cast member since being an original from the first season in 1994. In the meantime, the show won another KCA in 2000,^[11] and went into reruns until 2001. All That skipped the 2000–2001 television season during the lead-up to its relaunch.

New era begins (2002–2005)[link]

After the television season hiatus, the new era of All That began in 2002. Nickelodeon has titled the second run of All That, "The Relaunch Era". This is because at the beginning when Nickelodeon ended the first run, all the old cast members from Season 6 were replaced by a new cast.

Other changes occurred before the start of the season as well. The show got rid of the long-running sketch "Vital Information" which had been featured in every show since the first season. Instead they replaced it with a new sketch called "Know Your Stars", which was featured in almost every episode of this season and onward. The show also got rid of the traditional green room, where the cast would hang out. In this season, the cast would be featured walking around the studio instead of being in one area. Another change was the absence of Kevin Kopelow. A long-running gag in the first six seasons was Kevin The Stage Manager, who was usually hurt in some way. Instead he replaced with Pickle Boy, a random person who would usually be seen offering people pickles.

Now, the new openings are: The theme opening (with audience as sound fx), cast members in alphabetical order, Special Guest (if necessary), musical guest, and ending groups.

Season Seven – (2002)[link]

The first episode of the "new" All That featured special guests Frankie Muniz and Aaron Carter and aired from January 19, 2002 to May 4, 2002.^[12] The seventh season and ongoing season theme openings/outro themes were slightly remixed to fit the relaunch. In this particular episode, Muniz was seen running around the streets grabbing random people to be the new cast members. It also doesn't have an announcer saying "fresh out of the box, stop, look and watch, ready yet, get set, it's All That." Also on every beginning of an episode, you don't hear the All That instrumental theme.

Season 7 kicked off with cast members Chelsea Brummet, Jack DeSena, Lisa Foiles, Bryan Hearne, Shane Lyons, Giovonnie Samuels, and Kyle Sullivan. It also had for the first time Five year old Featured member Joel Elijah Moore. At the beginning when the cast headed off to do the show, the audience was not shown anymore and it went right to the beginning credits.

Weekly guest stars[link]

In conjunction with the seventh season, All That brought in weekly special guest stars who helped open the show and participated in some of the sketches. All That during the era prior to the relaunch had some guest stars including Dr. Joyce Brothers in one segment of "Ask Ashley", John Leguizamo in character from the movie The Pest, and Sherman Hemsley in a cold open, and again in a "Good Burger" sketch.

Among the guest stars who appeared during this period were former cast members Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes. Unlike most of the other guest stars this season, Thompson appeared in almost every sketch of his guest appearance – reprising popular characters Principal Pimpell in a "Harry Bladder" sketch, lunch lady Miss Piddlin in a "Sugar & Coffee" sketch and "Superdude". Bynes appeared as her Amanda Show character, Penelope Taynt in a cold open and a "Sugar & Coffee" sketch and also appeared as herself in that same skit, appeared as herself in a "Know Your Stars" skit and reprises Ashley in a blooper "from the late-Nineties."

Other special guest stars included, in no particular order: Melissa Joan Hart, Frankie Muniz, Tony Hawk, David Arquette, Britney Spears, Aaron Carter, Will Friedle, Christina Vidal, Matthew Lillard, Ray Romano, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids),^[13] Nick Carter, Justin Timberlake, Buddy Hackett, Barry Watson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, P. Diddy, Tom Green and Brittany Snow (American Dreams)^[14] Some viewers did not appreciate the intensified emphasis on special guest stars since All That (unlike the 90 minute long Saturday Night Live or even the 60 minute long MADtv) was only a 30 minute program (including commercials).^[15]

Season Eight – (2002–2003)[link]

Joining the cast in Season 8 was Jamie Lynn Spears, who was previously better known for being the younger sister of pop star, Britney Spears as well as Featured Member Gregory Nichols Jr.. Gregory got the job after successfully passing a audition.Bryan Hearne left the show at the end of the season to pursue a music career. Season 8 marked the beginning of All That cast members started attempting dares on the SNICK program: Snick On-Air Dare.^[16][17] Occasionally, On Air Dares had special guests from other shows.^[18]

Before Season 8 ended, Nickelodeon advertised a competition called R U All That?: Nickelodeon's Search for the Funniest Kid in America. After this contest ended in 2003, the finals aired on July 26, 2003. The contest picked five finalists, and all of them performed a sketch with some of the cast members. The winner was Christina Kirkman, and the runner up was Ryan Coleman. Kirkman became a regular cast member from that point.^[19]

Season Nine – (2003–2004)[link]

As previously mentioned, in Season 9, Christina Kirkman earned her spot on All That by winning the R U All That contest. Ryan Coleman, who was the runner-up, soon also got a part on the show midway into Season 9 to replace Bryan Hearne, who left at the end of Season 8 also as previously mentioned.Although Gregory Nichols Jr. had a contract to be a regular cast member, He chose to let the contract go.So did Joel Elijah More. So Gregory and Joel decided just to finish the season 9 run. During this season and Season 10, the cast attempted to resurrect some of the classic sketches, like "Good Burger" (with Ryan Coleman as Ed), and "Vital Information" (with Lil' JJ as the anchor). The cast of Season 9 continued to do On-Air Dares.

This was the final season for Gregory Nichols Jr., Joel Elijah Moore. Shane Lyons, Giovonnie Samuels, and Jamie Lynn Spears. In 2004, All That won another KCA for Favorite TV Show at the 2004 Kids' Choice Awards.^[20] After the last episode aired in Season 9, Nickelodeon put the show on a short hiatus for the Fall of 2004. The show then returned when the 10th Anniversary ended. Also in this season, weekly guests no longer appeared, only musical guests. This format continued until the cancellation.

10th Anniversary (2005)[link]

In 2005, Nickelodeon celebrated the 10th anniversary of All That bus airing episodes from the first six seasons in the week leading up to a "reunion special" hosted by Frankie Muniz on April 23. Ashanti and Bow Wow were the musical guests.^[21][21]

Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Josh Server, and Danny Tamberelli reunited on the show.^[21] In addition, Nick Cannon appeared on the special but only via satellite in a Repairman sketch. Other cast members attended but had no speaking parts (namely: Katrina Johnson, Alisa Reyes, Leon Frierson, Mark Saul, Angelique Bates, Christy Knowings, Gregory Nichols Jr., and Giovonnie Samuels). Amanda Bynes, Lori Beth Denberg, Bryan Hearne, Gabriel Iglesias, and Shane Lyons were no-shows. Iglesias was left out of the opening intro also.^[21]

A more recent sketch called The Unreal World (a parody of The Real World) was voted the funniest moment in All That history, beating such 1990s sketches as Kenan Thompson's Ishboo character and an older Good Burger sketch.^[22]

Approximately 6.2 million total viewers watched the special on both its April 23 and 24 airings, making it the top cable or broadcast program for the 2–11, 6–11, and 9–14 age demographics,^[23][24] and TV.com gives it a rating of 8.7/10.^[25]

The last segment of this episode paid tribute to the ending soundclip of the original seasons. As the room for the 10 year anniversary party was empty, Kenan and Kel stood sleeping in the costumes of their roles as Mavis & Clavis. Kenan wakes up and says "Hey, Clavis!, wake up, the show's over," and Kel responds with his signature, "Ah yeah, kick it". They then turn and slowly walk away as the screen fades to black in a dramatic yet subtle ending to the 10 year tribute.

Return of "Vital Information"[link]

After a four season hiatus, All That decided to bring back the "Vital Information" segment with BET's Coming to the Stage winner Lil' JJ succeeding Lori Beth Denberg and Danny Tamberelli, respectively. Lil' JJ's very first "Vital Information" occurred during the 10th Anniversary Reunion Special.

Season Ten – The Final Season (2005)[link]

The tenth (and what turned out to be the final) season of All That began after the 10th anniversary, with Kianna Underwood and Denzel Whitaker as the two new cast members that were added after the departure of Shane Lyons, Giovonnie Samuels, and Jamie Lynn Spears (who left to work on Zoey 101). They joined the returning cast Jack DeSena, Lisa Foiles, Chelsea Brummet, Kyle Sullivan, Christina Kirkman, and Ryan Coleman. Also, Lil JJ was part of the cast this season as a featured player doing "Vital Information" (as previously mentioned).

In the somewhat same vein as Season 6, the show was losing an amount of steam due to Lyons, Samuels, and Spears leaving the show, causing some of the relaunch sketches to be discontinued. Some of these sketches include:- "Stacey Chit, Advice From the Old Lady in Shane's Mouth, The Old Lady Show, Bloopers, Harry Bladder (It had Kyle Sullivan but Shane was also starred), Connect The Zits".

The 10th season was only slated for 16 episodes (2 episodes never aired, but they aired in Australia) until the cancellation. At the start of this season, they used urban musical guests again, but there were one special guest during this season. Cast member Jack DeSena meant to leave after Season 9 to continue to work on Avatar: The Last Airbender, but he continued to film on All That until production of the show ended in early 2005.

Season 10 ended on October 22, 2005 (featuring musical guest Lalaine) with the show reaching 175 episodes.

Cancellation (2005)[link]

According to Lisa Foiles on her Official Yahoo! Group, the rumors of the impending cancellation of All That were in fact, true. This was the message posted on Lisa's club by Lisa Foiles herself (as of September 5, 2005):^[26]

I know there's been a lot of speculating on the subject of All That being canceled, and I thought I'd be the one to tell you that it's true. All That has finally come to an end. I found out a few weeks ago, but didn't know if I should tell anyone. I guess if ten years is long enough for Friends, and it's long enough for us, too! I probably would have moved on anyway, even if it didn't get canceled. I was getting a little too old for the show and I believe that it should always have a cast of younger kids, no older than 18. Where I will go from here, I'm not sure, but I have a few things in the works. All I ask is that you guys keep me and the other cast members in your prayers, that we can step into bigger and better things!:)
So, I guess that's....All That!!!

—Luv Alwayz – Lisa

Episodes[link]

Crew[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Media franchise[link]

[edit] All That: The Album

On November 26, 1996, Nickelodeon released All That on CD, titled: All That: The Album. It contains All That dialogues from the show, and songs sung by musical guests (i.e. Faith Evans, Coolio, Monica, Naughty By Nature, etc.). All That's theme opening and outro theme were finally released on this CD. Music from the CD is mainly inspired from the show.^[32]

[edit] All That: Fresh out the Box

On October 1, 1998, Nickelodeon released a 112-page book of All That called All That: Fresh out the Box by Steve Holland. The book contains information of the show's sketches, cast members and notable points of the show. It also contains different character information as well.^[33]

Live Tour[link]

On June 30, 2000, Nickelodeon gave All That a promotional summer tour titled All That Music and More Festival, which traveled all over the United States and was hosted by the cast of All That. The tour began after Season 6 and lasted until September 3 of 2000. The tour mainly featured the cast members of All That and a musical guest. Many of the musical guests joined and performed during the tour. Also while the tour went on, the cast members did numerous live sketches.^[34] There was also a ticket contest the year before the festival began.^[35] On July 29, 2000, Nickelodeon broadcast the highlights and events that happened during the entire festival.^[36]

iTunes[link]

On August 15, 2011, the iTunes Store released All That: Volume 1 with the first seven episodes from season two. On November 29, 2011, the iTunes Store released All That: Volume 2 with seven more episodes from season two. All That: Volume 3 was released in 2012 with seven episodes from season two. Just like The '90s Are All That airings, the musical guest performances are omitted and the end credits are re-done as generic white text on black.^[37]

Reruns/Syndication[link]

All That ran on Nickelodeon from 1994 until 2005 (its entire original run). All That ran in reruns on The N from March 12 to September 15, 2008.

All That once again started airing on TeenNick on July 25, 2011 as part of The '90s Are All That. These airings, however, have the musical guest performances removed, along with their introduction sketches, presumably for time and the high cost of obtaining music distribution rights. The reruns on The N in 2008 however, aired the show uncut and retained the musical guest performances, with the exception of the K-Ci & JoJo episode.

In a rare tribute to All That, Kenan Thompson complains in the iCarly and Victorious crossover, "iParty with Victorious", that everyone wants to borrow money from him, including half of the original cast of All That. Tori Vega, portrayed by Victoria Justice, comments that she used to love that show.

See also[link]

	Nickelodeon portal
	Television portal

• You Can't Do That on Television
• Roundhouse
• So Random!

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: All That

• All That at the Internet Movie Database
• All That at TV.com

Kobe Bryant

Bryant greeting some fans in February 2007
No. 24 – Los Angeles Lakers
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1978-08-23) August 23, 1978 (age 33) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
High school	Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	1996–present
Career history
1996–present	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009–2010) NBA Most Valuable Player (2008) 14× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2012) 2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007) 10× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2012) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005) 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2011) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002, 2012) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997) 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1997) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)
Stats at NBA.com
Medals Men's basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing National Team FIBA Americas Championship Gold 2007 Las Vegas Team competition

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He decided to declare his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals was followed by O'Neal's trade from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant became the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award on both occasions.

As of February 2012^[update], Bryant ranks third and fifth on the league's all-time post-season scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been held with fourteen All-Star appearances, winning the All-Star MVP Award four times (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011). Bryant is tied for the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA history. He is a 14-time member of the All-NBA team and an 12-time member of the All-Defensive team; he is also the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors. At the 2008 Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the USA national team. In 2009, Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2000s decade.

In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault after having sex with a hotel employee in Colorado. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser refused to testify. A civil suit was later filed and settled out of court.

Early years[link]

Childhood and youth[link]

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest of three children and the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.^[1] He is also the maternal nephew of John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.^[1] Bryant was raised Roman Catholic.^[2] When Bryant was six, his father left the NBA and moved his family to Italy to continue playing professional basketball.^[3] Bryant became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak Italian and Spanish.^[3][4] During summers, he would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league.^[5]

Bryant started playing basketball when he was 3 years old,^[6] and his favorite team growing up was the Lakers.^[7] Bryant's grandfather would mail him videos of NBA games, which Bryant would study.^[7] At an early age he also learned to play soccer; his favorite team is AC Milan.^[8] He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player;^[8] Bryant is a big fan of former FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and their former player Ronaldinho.^[9] Upon Joe Bryant's retirement from playing basketball in 1991, the Bryant family moved back to the United States.

High school[link]

Bryant's retired No.33 jersey and banner at the Lower Merion High School gym.

Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high school career at Lower Merion High School located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. As a freshman, he played for the varsity basketball team.^[10] His father coached him his second year of high school. Although during his first year the team was mediocre, the following three years the Aces compiled a 77–13 record, with Bryant playing all five positions.^[10] During his junior year, he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year.^[11] College recruiters from across the country were lined up to recruit him after his breakout year.^[11] Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Michigan were at the top of his list; however, when Kevin Garnett went in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, he began considering going directly to the pros.^[11]

At Adidas ABCD camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award,^[12] while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom.^[13] While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the team, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse.^[14] In his senior year of high school, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 3.8 blocked shots in leading the Aces to a 31–3 record.^[15] Bryant ended his high school career as Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points, surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons.^[16]

Bryant received several awards for his performance his senior year including being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, and a USA Today All-USA First Team player.^[17] Bryant's varsity coach, Greg Downer, commented that Bryant was "a complete player who dominates".^[15] In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy Norwood to his senior prom,^[18] though the two were, and remain, just friends. Ultimately, however, the 17-year-old Bryant made the decision to go directly into the NBA, only the sixth player in NBA history to do so.^[10] Bryant's news was met with a lot of publicity at a time when prep-to-pro NBA players were not very common (Garnett being the only exception in 20 years).^[10] His SAT score of 1080^[19] would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges and Bryant has stated that had he decided to go to college after high school, he would have attended Duke University.^[20] In 2012, Bryant was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans.^[21]

NBA career[link]

1996 NBA Draft[link]

The first guard to ever be taken out of high school, Bryant was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996.^[22] According to Arn Tellem, Bryant's agent at the time, Bryant playing for the Charlotte Hornets was "an impossibility".^[23] However, Bill Branch, the Hornets' head scout at the time, said that the Hornets agreed to trade their draft selection to the Lakers before picking Bryant. The teams agreed to the trade the day before the draft and the Lakers did not tell the Hornets who to select until five minutes before the pick was made.^[24] Branch said that prior to the trade agreement, the Hornets never even considered drafting Bryant. Prior to the draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, in which he scrimmaged against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper, and according to then-Laker manager Jerry West "marched over these people".^[25] On July 1, 1996, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac, to the Hornets in exchange for Bryant's draft rights.^[26] Since he was still 17 at the time of the draft, his parents had to cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to sign his own when he turned 18 before the season began.^[27]

First three seasons (1996–99)[link]

During his rookie season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel.^[28] At the time he became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game (a record since broken by Jermaine O'Neal and Andrew Bynum), and also became the youngest NBA starter ever.^[29] Initially, Bryant played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. By the end of the season, he averaged 15.5 minutes a game. During the All-Star weekend, Bryant was the winner of the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest player to be named the slam dunk champion at the age of 18.^[30] Bryant's performance throughout the year earned him a spot on the NBA All Rookie second team with fellow bench teammate Travis Knight.^[31] His final minutes of the season ended in disaster when he shot 4 air balls at crucial times in the game.^[15] He first missed a jumper to win the game in the 4th quarter and 3 three-pointers in overtime (2 of which would have tied the game in the final minute). With that the Utah Jazz ended the playoffs for the Lakers in the second round. Shaquille O'Neal commented years later that "[Bryant] was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that."^[32][33]

In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. As a result Bryant's point averages more than doubled from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game.^[34] Bryant would see an increase in minutes when the Lakers "played small", which would feature Bryant playing small forward along side the guards he'd usually back up.^[35] Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award,^[36] and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history.^[37] He was joined by teammates Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Van Exel, and Eddie Jones, making it the first time since 1983 that four players on the same team were selected to play in the same All-Star Game. Bryant's 15.4 points per game was the highest of any non-starter in the season.^[38]

The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's emergence as a premiere guard in the league. With starting guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones traded, Bryant started every game for the lockout-shortened 50 game season. During the season, Bryant signed a 6-year contract extension worth $70 million.^[38] This kept him with the Lakers until the end of the 2003–04 season. Even at an early stage of his career sportswriters were comparing his skills to that of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.^[27][39][40] The playoff results, however, were no better, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.^[41]

Three-peat (1999–2002)[link]

Bryant was a member of the Lakers teams that won three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002.

Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999.^[42] After years of steady improvement, Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league, earning appearances in the league's All-NBA,^[43] All-Star, and All-Defensive teams.^[44] The Los Angeles Lakers became true championship contenders under Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who formed a legendary center-guard combination. Jackson utilized the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, which would help both Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the NBA. The three resulting championships won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002 further proved such a fact.^[45]

Bryant started the 1999–2000 season sidelined for six weeks due to an injury to his hand in a preseason game against the Washington Wizards.^[46] With Bryant back and playing over 38 minutes a game, he saw an increase in all statistical categories in the 1999–2000 season. This included leading the team in assists per game and steals per game. The duo of O'Neal and Bryant backed with a strong bench led to the Lakers winning 67 games, tied for fifth-most in NBA history. This followed with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his career (the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors).^[47] While playing second fiddle to O'Neal in the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances including a 25 point, 11 rebound, 7 assist, 4 block game in game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.^[48] He also threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal to clinch the game and the series. In the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 and did not return to the game. He also missed Game 3 due to the injury. In Game 4, Bryant scored 22 points in the second half, and led the team to an OT victory as O'Neal fouled out of the game. Bryant scored the winning shot to put the Lakers ahead 120–118.^[49] With a 116–111 Game 6 victory, the Lakers won their first championship since 1988.^[50]

Statistically, the 2000–01 season saw Bryant perform similarly to the previous year, except Bryant averaged 6 more points a game (28.5). It was also the year when disagreements between Bryant and O'Neal began to surface.^[51] Once again he led the team in assists with 5 per game. The Lakers however, only won 56 games, an 11-game drop off from last year. The Lakers would respond by going 15–1 in the playoffs. They easily swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs, before losing their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in OT. They would go on to win the next 4 games and bring their second championship to Los Angeles in as many seasons. During the playoffs, Bryant played heavy minutes which brought his stats up to 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. In the playoffs, teammate O'Neal declared Bryant the best player in the league.^[15][52] Bryant ended up making the All NBA Second team and All NBA Defensive Team for the second year in a row. In addition, he was also voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the 3rd year in a row (no game in 1999).

In the 2001–02 season, Bryant played 80 games for the first time in his career. He continued his all-round play by averaging 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He also had a career high 46.9% shooting and once again led his team in assists. While making the All-Star team and All-NBA Defensive team again, he was also promoted to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. The Lakers won 58 games that year and finished second place in the Pacific Division behind in-state rival Sacramento Kings. Bryant was suspended one game after he punched Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers after the Lakers' March 1, 2002 victory over the Pacers.^[53][54]

The road to the Finals would prove a lot tougher than the record run the Lakers had the previous year. While the Lakers swept the Blazers and defeated the Spurs 4–1, the Lakers did not have home court advantage against the Sacramento Kings. The series would stretch to 7 games, the first time this happened to the Lakers since the 2000 Western Conference Finals. However, the Lakers were able to beat their division rivals and make their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance. In the 2002 Finals, Bryant averaged 26.8 points, 51.4% shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists per game, which included scoring a quarter of the teams points.^[55] At age 23, Bryant became the youngest player to win three championships.^[55] Bryant's play was notable and praised for his performance in the 4th quarter of games, specifically the last 2 rounds of the playoffs.^[55][56] This cemented Bryant's reputation as a clutch player.

Coming up short (2002–04)[link]

Bryant prepares to shoot a free throw in 2005.

In the 2002–03 season, Bryant averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or more points in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, all career highs up to that point. Bryant was once again voted on to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams,^[1] and came in third place in voting for the MVP award. After finishing 50–32 in the regular season, the Lakers foundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs in six games.^[57]

In the following 2003–04 season, the Lakers were able to acquire NBA All-Stars Karl Malone, and Gary Payton to make another push at the NBA Championship.^[58] Before the season began, Bryant was arrested for sexual assault.^[59] This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later in same day.^[60] In the final game of the regular season the Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers. Bryant made two buzzer beaters to win the game and the Pacific Division title. At the end of the fourth quarter, Bryant made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to tie the game at 87 and send it into OT.^[61] The game eventually went to a second overtime, in which Bryant made another 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Lakers past the Blazers 105–104.^[61]

With a starting lineup of four future Hall of Famers, O'Neal, Malone, Payton, and Bryant, the Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals.^[62] In the Finals, they were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990.^[63] In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game and 4.4 assists. He shot a mere 35.1% from the field.^[64] Phil Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over.^[65] Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant.^[66] The following day, Bryant declined an offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers on a seven-year contract.^[67]

Setting records and playoffs disappointments (2004–07)[link]

Bryant dunks against Golden State Warriors in October 2005

Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the 2004–05 season with his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year. A particularly damaging salvo came when Phil Jackson wrote The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. The book detailed the events of the Lakers' tumultuous 2003–04 season and has a number of criticisms of Bryant. In the book Jackson called Bryant "uncoachable".^[68] Midway through the season, Rudy Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion.^[69] Without Tomjanovich, stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen.^[70] Despite the fact that Bryant was the league's second leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, the Lakers floundered and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The year signified a drop in Bryant's overall status in the NBA, as he did not make the NBA All-Defensive Team and was also demoted to the All-NBA Third Team.^[71] During the season, Bryant also engaged in public feuds with Ray Allen and Karl Malone.^[72][73]

The 2005–06 NBA season would mark a crossroads in Bryant's basketball career. Despite past differences with Bryant, Phil Jackson returned to coach the Lakers.^[74] Bryant endorsed the move, and by all appearances, the two men worked together well the second time around, leading the Lakers back into the playoffs. Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. On December 20, 2005, Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. Entering the fourth quarter, Bryant outscored the entire Mavericks team 62–61, the only time a player has done this through three quarters since the introduction of the shot clock.^[75] When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, signifying a change in the feud that had festered between them.^[76] A month later, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two were seen laughing together.^[77]

Bryant scored a career high of 81-points against the Toronto Raptors in Staples Center, second highest single scoring performance in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.

On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in a victory against the Toronto Raptors.^[78][79] In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor, Bryant's 81-point game was the second highest point total in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.^[80] In that same month, Bryant also became the first player since 1964 to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games, joining Chamberlain and Baylor as the only players ever to do so.^[81] For the month of January, Bryant averaged 43.4 points per game,^[82] the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history and highest for any player other than Chamberlain.^[83] By the end of the 2005–06 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise records for most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832).^[84] He won the league's scoring title for the first time by averaging 35.4 points per game. Bryant finished in fourth place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, but received 22 first place votes—second only to winner Steve Nash.^[85] The Los Angeles Lakers posted a 45–37 record, an eleven-game improvement over the previous season, and the entire squad seemed to be clicking.^[86]

Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 2006–07 NBA season. Bryant's first high school number was 24 before he switched to 33.^[87] After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant wore 143 at the Adidas ABCD camp, and chose 8 by adding those numbers.^[87] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played well enough to reach a 3–1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns, culminating with Bryant's OT-forcing and game-winning shots in Game 4. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, however, they lost that game 126–118 in overtime.^[88] Despite Bryant's 27.9 points per game in the series, the Lakers broke down, and ultimately fell to the Suns in seven games.^[88] Bryant received criticism for only taking three shots in the second half of the 121–90 Game 7 loss to Phoenix.^[89] In the 2006 off-season, Bryant had knee surgery, preventing him from participating in the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament.^[90]

Bryant scored 50 points or more in four consecutive games and ten total in the 2006–07 season.

During the 2006–07 season, Bryant was selected to his 9th All-Star Game appearance, and on February 18, he logged 31 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals, earning his second career All-Star Game MVP trophy.^[91] Over the course of the season, Bryant became involved in a number of on court incidents. On January 28 while attempting to draw contact on a potential game winning jumpshot, he flailed his arm, striking San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginóbili in the face with his elbow.^[92] Following a league review, Bryant was suspended for the subsequent game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. The basis given for the suspension was that Bryant had performed an "unnatural motion" in swinging his arm backwards.^[93] Later, on March 6, he seemed to repeat the motion, this time striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jarić.^[92] On March 7, the NBA handed Bryant his second one-game suspension.^[94] In his first game back on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retroactively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul.^[92]

On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high 65 points in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game losing streak. This was the second best scoring performance of his 11-year career.^[95] The following game, Bryant recorded 50 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves,^[96] after which he scored 60 points in a road win against the Memphis Grizzlies—becoming the second Laker to score three straight 50-plus point games, a feat not seen since Michael Jordan last did it in 1987.^[97] The only other Laker to do so was Elgin Baylor, who also scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962.^[97] In the following day, in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Bryant scored 50 points, making him the second player in NBA history to have 4 straight 50 point games behind Wilt Chamberlain, who is the all-time leader with seven consecutive 50 point games twice.^[98] Bryant finished the year with a total of ten 50-plus point games,^[99] becoming the only player beside Wilt Chamberlain in 1961–62 and 1962–63 to do so in one season. He also won his second straight scoring title that season.^[100] Throughout the 2006–07 season, Bryant's jersey became the top selling NBA jersey in the United States and China.^[101] A number of journalists have attributed the improved sales to Bryant's new number, as well as his continuing All-Star performance on the court.^[102][103] In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers were once again eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns, 4–1.^[104]

MVP year and trip to the finals (2007–08)[link]

On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Bryant stated that he wanted to be traded if Jerry West did not return to the team with full authority.^[105] Bryant later confirmed his desire for West's return to the franchise, but denied stating that he would want to be traded if that does not occur.^[106] However, three days later, on Stephen A. Smith's radio program, Bryant expressed anger over a Lakers "insider" who claimed that Bryant was responsible for Shaquille O'Neal's departure from the team, and publicly stated, "I want to be traded."^[107] Three hours after making that statement, Bryant stated in another interview that after having a conversation with head coach Phil Jackson, he has reconsidered his decision and backed off his trade request.^[108] Bryant would later be shown on an infamous amateur video saying that center Andrew Bynum should have been traded for All-Star Jason Kidd.^[109][110]

Bryant's Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in 6 games during the 2008 NBA Finals.

On December 23, 2007, Bryant became the youngest player (29 years, 122 days) to reach 20,000 points, in a game against the New York Knicks, in Madison Square Garden.^[111] Despite an injury to his shooting hand's small finger, described as "a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint" that occurred in a game on February 5, 2008, Bryant played all 82 games of the regular season instead of opting for surgery. Regarding his injury, he stated, "I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer's Olympic Games. But, this is an injury that myself [sic] and the Lakers' medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis."^[112] In early September 2008, Bryant decided not to have surgery to repair the injury.^[113]

Leading his team to a West best 57–25 record, they swept the Nuggets in the first round and on May 6, 2008, Bryant was officially announced as the NBA Most Valuable Player award, his first for his career.^[114] He said, "It's been a long ride. I'm very proud to represent this organization, to represent this city."^[115] Jerry West, who was responsible for bringing Bryant to the Lakers, was on hand at the press conference to observe Bryant receive his MVP trophy from NBA commissioner David Stern. He stated, "Kobe deserved it. He's had just another great season. Doesn't surprise me one bit."^[116] In addition to winning his MVP award, Bryant was the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA team on May 8, 2008 for the third straight season and sixth time in his career.^[117] He would then headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team with Kevin Garnett, receiving 52 points overall including 24 first-place nods, earning his eighth selection.^[118]

The Lakers concluded the 2007–08 regular season with a 57–25 record, finishing first in the Western Conference and setting up themselves for a first-round contest against the Nuggets. In Game 1, Bryant, who said he made himself a decoy through most of the game, scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead.^[119] That made Denver the first 50-win team to be swept out of the first round of the playoffs since the Memphis Grizzlies fell in four to the San Antonio Spurs in 2004.^[120] In the first game of the next round against the Jazz, Bryant scored 38 points as the Lakers beat the Jazz in Game 1.^[121] The Lakers won the next game as well, but dropped Games 3 and 4, even with Bryant putting up 33.5 points per game.^[122] The Lakers then won the next two games to win the semifinals in 6.^[122] This set up a Western Conference Finals berth against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers defeated the Spurs in 5 games, sending themselves to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. This marked the fifth time in Bryant's career and the first time without Shaquille O'Neal to go to the NBA Finals.^[123] The Lakers then lost to the Boston Celtics in 6 games.^[124]

Back on top (2008–10)[link]

Bryant set a Madison Square Garden record with 61 points

In the 2008–09 season, the Lakers opened the campaign by winning their first seven games.^[125] Bryant led the team to tie the franchise record for most wins to start the season going 17–2,^[126] and by the middle of December they compiled a 21–3 record. He was selected to his eleventh consecutive All-Star Game as a starter,^[127] and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December and January in addition to being named Western Conference Player of the week three times.^[128] In a game against the Knicks on February 2, 2009, Bryant scored 61 points, setting a record for the most points scored at Madison Square Garden.^[129] During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant who tallied 27 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals was awarded All-Star Game co-MVP with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal.^[130] The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the west with a 65–17 record. Bryant was runner-up in the MVP voting behind LeBron James,^[131] and was selected to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team for the seventh time in his career.

Bryant at the championship parade of the 2009 NBA Champions Los Angeles Lakers

In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz in five games and the Houston Rockets in seven games in the opening two rounds. After finishing off the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals in six games, the Lakers earned their second straight trip to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Orlando Magic in five games. Bryant was awarded his first NBA Finals MVP trophy upon winning his fourth championship,^[132] achieving series averages: 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks.^[133] He became the first player since Jerry West in the 1969 NBA Finals to average at least 32.4 points and 7.4 assists for a finals series^[134] and the first since Michael Jordan to average 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for a title-winning team in the finals.^[135]

Bryant shoots a left-handed floater over Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic on January 18, 2010

During the 2009–10 season, Bryant made six game-winning shots including a buzzer-beating, one-legged 3-pointer against the Miami Heat on December 4, 2009.^[136] Bryant considered the shot one of the luckiest he has made.^[136] A week later, Bryant suffered an avulsion fracture in his right index finger in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.^[137] Despite the injury, Bryant elected to continue playing with it, rather than take any time off to rest the injury.^[137] Five days after his finger injury, he made another game winning shot, after missing on an opportunity in regulation, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime game.^[138] Bryant also became the youngest player (31 years, 151 days) to reach 25,000 points during the season, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain.^[139] He continued his dominant clutch plays making yet another game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings,^[140] and what would be the game-winning field goal against the Boston Celtics.^[141] The following day, he surpassed Jerry West to become the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.^[142] After being sidelined for five games from an ankle injury, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one point lead with four seconds remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies.^[143] Two weeks later, he made his sixth game-winning shot of the season against the Toronto Raptors.^[144]

On April 2, 2010, Bryant signed a three-year contract extension worth $87 million.^[145] Bryant finished the regular season missing four of the final five games, due to injuries to his knee and finger. Bryant suffered multiple injuries throughout the season and as a result, missed nine games. The Lakers began the playoffs as the number one seed in the Western Conference against the Oklahoma City Thunder,^[146] eventually defeating them in six games.^[147] The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz in the second round^[148] and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they faced Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Bryant finished the game with 13 assists, setting a new playoff career high; it was the most assists by a Laker in the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996.^[149] The Lakers went on to win the series in six games capturing the Western Conference Championship and advancing to the NBA Finals for a third straight season.^[150] In a rematch against the 2008 Champion Boston Celtics, Bryant, despite shooting 6 for 24 from the field, led the Lakers back from a thirteen-point third quarter deficit in Game 7 to win the championship; he scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and finished the game with 15 rebounds. Bryant won his fifth championship and earned his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award.^[151] This marked the first time the Lakers won a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.^[152] Bryant said that this was the most satisfying of all of his five championships.^[153]

Chasing the sixth championship (2010–present)[link]

The Lakers started the 2010–11 season by winning their first eight games.^[154] In his ninth game of the season, playing against the Denver Nuggets, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points.^[155] Bryant also recorded his first triple double since January 21, 2009.^[156] On January 30 against the Celtics, he become the youngest player to score 27,000 points.^[157] On February 1, 2011, Bryant became one of seven players with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists.^[158] In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 92–86 win over the Celtics.^[159] It was the Lakers' first victory of the season against one of the league's top four teams, as they entered the game 0–5 in previous matchups and had been outscored by an average of 11 points.^[160] Bryant, selected to his 13th straight All-Star game after becoming the leading vote-getter, had 37 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals in the 2011 All-Star Game and won his fourth All-Star MVP, tying Hall of Famer Bob Pettit for the most All-Star MVP awards.^[161][162] During the season, Bryant moved from 12th to 6th place on the NBA all-time career scoring list, passing John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, and Moses Malone.^[163] Bryant finished the season averaging less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the 2003–04 season.^[164]

On April 13, 2011, the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for directing a gay slur at referee Bennie Adams in frustration in the previous day's game.^{[165][166][167]} The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation praised the NBA's decision to fine Bryant, and the Human Rights Campaign said that Bryant's language was a "disgrace" and "distasteful". Bryant stated that he was open to discussing the matter with gay rights groups and wanted to appeal his fine.^{[168][169][170]} He later apologized for the use of the word.^[171][172] Bryant and other Lakers appeared in a Lakers public service announcement denouncing his behavior.^[173] The team's quest for another three-peat was ended when they were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. The Mavericks would go on to win the 2011 NBA Finals.

Bryant received experimental platelet-rich plasma therapy on his left knee and ankle,^[174] and Mike Brown replaced the retired Phil Jackson as coach of the Lakers in the offseason. Bryant began the season playing with an injured wrist.^[175] On January 10, 2012, Bryant scored 48 points against the Suns, the most ever by a player in his 16th season. "Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league," said Bryant, referring to a preseason ESPN ranking of the NBA's top players.^[176] He went on to score 40, 42, and 42 in his next three games.^[177] It was the sixth time in his career he scored 40 or more points in four straight games, a feat exceeded only by Wilt Chamberlain (19 times).^[178] At the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant scored 27 points to pass Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the All-Star Game.^[179] He also suffered a broken nose and a concussion in the third quarter of the All-Star Game after a hard foul from Dwyane Wade.^[180] In April, Bryant missed seven games with a bruised left shin.^[181] He returned three games before the end of the regular season. In the last game of the regular season, against Sacramento, he chose not to go for a possible third NBA scoring title, having needed 38 points to surpass Kevin Durant. ^[182]

International career[link]

Bryant in a game against China at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Kobe Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics due to getting married in the off-season.^[183] He also decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.^[184] Bryant was originally selected for the FIBA Americas Championship 2003 but withdrew due to surgeries and was replaced by Vince Carter.^[185] In the following summer, he had to withdraw from the Olympic team because of his legal case.^[186] Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to publicly named to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo.^[187] However, he was once again sidelined after knee surgery and didn't participate in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.^[188]

Bryant's senior international career with the United States national team finally began in 2007. He was a member of the 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team and USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 10–0, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. He started in all 10 of the USA's FIBA Americas Championship games. He finished third on the team for made and attempted free throws, ranked fourth for made field goals, made 3-pointers. Among all FIBA Americas Championship competitors, Bryant is ranked 15th in scoring, 14th in assists, and eighth in steals. Bryant scored double-digits in eight of the 10 games played. Bryant also made the game winning 14 feet (4.3 m) jumper above the foul line with seconds left in the game. He currently averages a .530 shooting percentage, with 16.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.^[189]

As a part of his international expansion, he is also featured in a Chinese reality TV show, called the Kobe Mentu show, which documents Chinese basketball players on different teams going through drills, preparing to play each other while Bryant gives advice and words of encouragement to the players while they practice.^[190]

On June 23, 2008, he was named to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[191] This was his first time going to the Olympics. Bryant scored 20 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, along with six assists, as Team USA defeated Spain 118–107 in the gold medal game of the 2008 Summer Olympics on August 24, 2008, for its first gold medal in a worldwide international competition since the 2000 Olympics.^[192] He averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting .462 from the field in eight Olympic contests.

Bryant has committed to playing for the national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[193]

Player profile[link]

Bryant shoots over Shane Battier in April 2009.

Bryant is a shooting guard who is capable of playing the small forward position. He is considered one of the most complete players in the NBA,^[194][195] has been selected to every All-NBA Team since 1999, and has been featured in the last fourteen NBA All-Star games.^[1] Sportswriters and sportscasters frequently compare Bryant to Michael Jordan, a comparison Bryant dislikes.^[196] In 2007, an ESPN poll of sportswriters voted him as the second best shooting guard in NBA history behind Jordan.^[195]

He is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.4 points per game for his career, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals (as of the end of the 2011–2012 regular season).^[197] He is known for his ability to create shots for himself and is a competent three-point shooter at 33.7%. Bryant shares the single-game NBA record for three pointers made with 12.^[198] Bryant is often cited as one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA,^[199] and utilizes his wide array of moves and shots to elude defenders and score from virtually anywhere on the floor. Some of Bryant's best moves are his turnaround jump shot, and his ability to post up his defenders and score with a fadeaway jumpshot. Chris Ballard, a Sports Illustrated NBA writer, describes a "jab step-and-pause" as a move Bryant uses where he jabs his non-pivot foot forward to let the defender relax and instead of bringing the jab foot back, he pushes off it and drive around his opponent to get to the basket.^[200]

Aside from his scoring ability, he has established himself as a standout defender, having made the All-Defensive first or second team twelve of the last thirteen seasons.^[1] Bryant has also been noted being one of the premier clutch performers in the NBA.^[201] In an annual survey of NBA general managers, Bryant was selected in 2012 for the 10th consecutive season as the player they most wanted taking the shot with the game on the line.^{[202][203][neutrality is disputed]} Both Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the NBA player of the 2000s decade.^[204][205]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Accomplishments and records[link]

Bryant led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.^[1] In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest number of points scored in a game in NBA history,^[78][211] behind only Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance. Bryant was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the 2007–08 season and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference.^[212] In the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team".^[213] He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions.

Bryant has been selected to 14 All-NBA Teams (10 times to the All-NBA First Team) and 12 All-Defensive Teams (nine times to the All-Defensive First Team). He was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game on 14 occasions, winning All-Star MVP Awards in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011 (he shared the 2009 award with Shaquille O'Neal). He also won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1997.^[214] As of May 2011, he has had 5 sixty-point games, 24 fifty-point games, and 107 forty-point games.

Off the court[link]

Personal life[link]

In November 1999, 21-year-old Bryant met 17-year-old Vanessa Laine while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up".^[215] Bryant was in the building working on his debut musical album, which was never released. The two began dating and became engaged just six months later in May 2000,^[215] while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. To avoid media scrutiny, she finished high school through independent study.^[215] According to Vanessa's cousin Laila Laine, there was no prenuptial agreement. Vanessa said Bryant "loved her too much for one".^[216]

They married on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in Dana Point, California.^[217] Neither Bryant's parents, his two sisters, longtime advisor and agent Arn Tellem, nor Bryant's Laker teammates attended. Bryant's parents were opposed to the marriage for a number of reasons. Reportedly Bryant's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who was not African-American.^[215] This disagreement resulted in an estrangement period of over two years, which ended when Bryant had his first daughter.

In January 2002, Bryant bought a Mediterranean-style house for $4 million, located in a cul-de-sac in Newport Coast, Newport Beach.^[218] The Bryants' first child, a daughter named Natalia Diamante Bryant, was born on January 19, 2003. The birth of Natalia influenced Bryant to reconcile his differences with his parents. Vanessa Bryant suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2005. Their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, was born on May 1, 2006. Gianna was born six minutes ahead of former teammate Shaquille O'Neal's daughter Me'arah Sanaa, who was born in Florida.^[219] On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Both parties resolved all the issues related to their divorce prior to the filing.^[220] Both Kobe and Vanessa requested joint custody of their daughters, Natalia and Gianna.^[221]

In an early 2007 interview, it was revealed that Bryant still speaks Italian fluently.^[3] Bryant assigned himself the nickname of "Black Mamba", citing a desire for his basketball skills to mimic the snake of that name's ability to "strike with 99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession."^[222]

Sexual assault allegation[link]

In the summer of 2003, the sheriff's office of Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint filed by 19-year old hotel employee Katelyn Faber. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County in advance of undergoing knee surgery nearby. Faber accused Bryant of raping her in his hotel room the night before Bryant was to have the procedure. Bryant admitted an adulterous sexual encounter with his accuser, but denied her sexual assault allegation.^[223][224]

The accusation tarnished Bryant's reputation, as the public's perception of Bryant plummeted, and his endorsement contracts with McDonald's and Nutella were terminated. Sales for Bryant's replica jersey fell significantly from their previous highs.^[225] However, in September 2004, the assault case was dropped by prosecutors after Faber refused to testify in the trial. Afterward, Bryant agreed to apologize to Faber for the incident, including his public mea culpa: "Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."^[226][227] Faber filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bryant, which the two sides ultimately settled with the specific terms of the settlement being undisclosed to the public.

Endorsements[link]

Bryant in Hong Kong for his 2009 Nike Asian Tour

Before starting the 1996–97 NBA season, Bryant signed a 6-year contract with Adidas worth approximately $48 million.^[228][229] His first signature shoe was the Equipment KB 8.^[230] Bryant's other earlier endorsements included deals with The Coca-Cola Company to endorse their Sprite soft drink, appearing in advertisements for McDonald's, promoting Spalding's new NBA Infusion Ball, Upper Deck, Italian chocolate company Ferrero SpA's brand Nutella, Russell Corporation,^[231] and appearing on his own series of video games by Nintendo. Many companies like McDonald's and Ferrero SpA terminated his contracts when rape allegations against him became public.^[232] A notable exception was Nike, Inc., who had signed him to a 5-year, $40–45 million contract just before the incident.^[233][234] However, they refused to use his image or market a new shoe of his for the year, but eventually did start promoting Bryant once his image recovered 2 years later.^[234] He has since resumed endorsement deals with The Coca-Cola Company, through their subsidiary Energy Brands to promote their Vitamin Water brand of drinks.^[235] Bryant was also the cover athlete for NBA '07: Featuring the Life Vol. 2 and appeared in commercials for the video games Guitar Hero World Tour (with Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps, and Alex Rodriguez) in 2008 and Call of Duty: Black Ops (alongside Jimmy Kimmel) in 2010.^[236]

Derek Fisher (left) and Bryant (center) with Barack Obama (right) on January 25, 2010

In a 2008 video promoting Nike's Hyperdunk shoes, Bryant appears to jump over a speeding Aston Martin. The stunt was considered to be fake, and the Los Angeles Times said a real stunt would probably be a violation of Bryant's Lakers contract.^[237] After promoting Nike's Hyperdunk shoes, Bryant came out with the fourth edition of his signature line by Nike, the Zoom Kobe IV. In 2010 Nike launched another shoe, Nike Zoom Kobe V.^[238] In 2009, Bryant signed a deal with Nubeo to market the "Black Mamba collection", a line of sports/luxury watches that range from $25,000 to $285,000.^[239] On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. However, it was not for anything basketball related, rather it was about Bryant being a big fan of FC Barcelona.^[240] CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement deals in 2007 to be worth $16 million a year.^[241] In 2010, Bryant was ranked third behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $48 million.^[242]

On December 13, 2010, Bryant signed a two-year endorsement deal with Turkey's national airline, Turkish Airlines. The deal involved Bryant being in a promotional film to be aired in over 80 countries in addition to him being used in digital, print and billboard advertising.^{[243][244][245]}

Bryant has appeared as the cover athlete for the following video games:

• Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside^[246]
• NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant^[247]
• NBA Courtside 2002^[248]
• NBA 3 On 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant^[249]
• NBA '07: Featuring the Life Vol. 2^[250]
• NBA '09: The Inside^[251]
• NBA 2K10

Music[link]

In 2011, Bryant was featured in Taiwanese singer Jay Chou's single, "The Heaven and Earth Challenge" (天地一鬥, pronounced "Tian Di Yi Dou").^[252] The proceeds for downloads of both the single and ringtones were donated to impoverished schools for basketball facilities and equipment.^[253] The music video of the single also features Bryant.^[254] The song was also used by Sprite in its 2011 marketing campaign in China.^[255]

Philanthropy[link]

Bryant is the official ambassador for After-School All-Stars (ASAS), an American non-profit organization that provides comprehensive after-school programs to children in 13 US cities.^[256] Bryant also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government.^[257] The Kobe Bryant China Fund raises money within China earmarked for education and health programs.^[257] On November 4, 2010, Bryant appeared alongside Zach Braff at the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch event at the Santa Monica Airport, where they presented a $1 million check to the Call of Duty Endowment, an Activision-founded nonprofit organization that helps veterans transition to civilian careers after their military service has ended.^[236]

See also[link]

References[link]