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Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to grace the NBA, Kobe Bryant left behind a stunning legacy. But how many rings did Kobe Bryant win in the NBA?
The G.O.A.T. NBA player debate never seems to have any point of conclusion. But it’s hard to question the fact that Kobe Bryant is always a challenger in that discussion, albeit the different eras that are factored in.
Bryant tragically passed away in January 2020 in a helicopter crash, along with one of his daughters, Gianna, and seven others on board. He was 41 at the time but left behind a legacy unparalleled in the NBA. But how many NBA rings did Kobe Bryant win during his time in the league?
An NBA ring is given to the annual Championship winning team’s players, coaches, and members of the executive front office.
Kobe Bryant began his NBA journey in 1996 when he was picked up by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the NBA Draft that year. However, he was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers a few months later.
Bryant quickly became the go-to man for the Lakers despite the addition of Shaquille O’Neal to the team. However, the duo helped the Lakers win the NBA Championship three times in a row from 2000 to 2002.
In 2000, the Lakers beat Larry Bird’s Indiana Pacers in six games at the NBA Finals. The following year, Phil Jackson’s side dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers in just 5 games to romp to the title. In 2002, the Lakers crushed the New Jersey Jets in a clean sweep in four games to make it an iconic three-peat.
The ‘Black Mamba’ and his Lakers team suffered defeat in the 2004 NBA Finals. For the next two years, Bryant led the NBA in scoring but failed to add more rings to his CV despite incredible statistics.
In 2008, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals and were heavily reliant on Bryant that season. However, he couldn’t lead the team across the line at the final hurdle as the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.
But he only had to wait until 2009 before his Lakers side won the NBA Championship again. This time it was the Orlando Magic who suffered defeat in 5 games at the NBA Finals.
Another title followed in 2010 as the Lakers faced one of their toughest tests in the NBA Finals during Bryant’s era. The Lakers were locked in a tight battle with the Boston Celtics and needed Game 7 to overcome their Eastern Conference rivals.
Bryant went on to spend another six years with the Lakers before retiring in 2016. In total, he won 5 NBA rings across two decades of playing for the Western Conference giants.
While Kobe Bryant has five NBA rings to his name, Michael Jordan just edges Kobe with six championship rings. On the other hand, LeBron James, who is still active in the NBA, currently has four NBA rings.
While Shaq and Kobe did help the Lakers to three NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002, the former was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004 after a reported feud with Bryant. Shaq never returned to the Lakers. But Kobe did manage to win two more NBA rings without the big man.
In 2009 and 2010, Bryant formed a strong partnership with Pau Gasol and the duo helped the Lakers win two titles in consecutive seasons.
Bryant left the Lakers as the team’s all-time leading scorer, an 18-time All-Star and the highest scorer in a game for the franchise. His career-high 81 points, which he achieved in 2006 is also the 2nd highest points scored in an NBA game by a single player.
Bryant also managed to scoop up the MVP award in 2008. He was also named as the MVP in two NBA Finals (2009, 2010).
Even in All-Star games, where the top players from the entire league came together, Bryant managed to stand out from the rest of the pack. He also won four All-Star Game MVP awards.
Bryant won the NBA Slam Dunk contest in 1997 but little did he know that it was only the beginning of accolades that were going to come his way. He is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist with the USA basketball team as well. A true legend of the game in every sense.
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