Kobe Bryant Perseverance

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He was once one of the most reviled athletes in the entire country. Accused of rape and severely criticized by former teammates, especially Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant faced obstacles and challenges that would have forced many to give in and give up. However, the perseverance that Bryant has shown by rebuilding his image and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, has transformed him into a champion on the court and in life as well. The Lakers recently captured their 16th NBA championship and fifth with Kobe Bryant as its star shooting guard. “It’s so tough to win a championship, to have to start over from scratch,” said Bryant. “We started over from scratch. Here we are again, and it really feels like a dream.” Although he may not admit it, Bryant’s last two championships had to be…show more content…
Many believed that people graduating from high school were still kids and were too young to be thrown into such a “grown up” and high profile situation. Few believed he would succeed and felt players “should be required to grow and develop in college the years after they graduate high school to allow them to grow and develop both physically and mentally” (Hilton). This marks the first significant event in the transformation of Kobe Bryant’s public identity in a negative way, and the beginning of Bryant’s path to perseverance. Skip to four years later and to the first NBA championship for Bryant, who was now an all-star, and the Lakers alongside Shaquille O’Neal which silenced any doubt about Bryant’s maturity or work ethic due to his age, changing his public image to a superstar. He now had all the sponsors and fame chasing him along with all the money that comes with it. His career was booming and he and his premier teammate Shaquille O’Neal were at the top of the league winning three straight NBA titles. The dream career that Bryant enjoyed early in his NBA tenure, however, turned into a nightmare when he was accused of raping an employee at

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