Unflinching

Though stellar in his pro debut (he scored 25 points in the Summer Pro League), Bryant mostly came off the bench during his first season. At the time the youngest person to ever play in an NBA game—at 18 years, 72 days—he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz and Bryant was pressed into a lead role at the end of Game 5. He shot four embarrassing airballs near the end of the game and the Jazz won in overtime. That could’ve been demoralizing, but Bryant had unflinching support. “My parents are my backbone. Still are,” he once said. “They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40.”