Kobe Bryant First ProGame At 17 Years Old

Kobe Bryant First ProGame At 17 Years Old

In honor of the 2009 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Orlando Magic and NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, we thought we'd bring you not just Kobe's first 2 points as a Laker, but video of all points he scored in his first pro game on July 13, 1996 against the Detroit Pistons in the LA Summer Pro League. This was the 4th game played by the Lakers summer league team and Kobe's first as a Laker. Wearing #32 and adidas shoes, Kobe joined the team in Long Beach after he and his parents Joe and Pam signed his pro contract (Kobe was only 17). Just a few weeks earlier he attended his high school prom with singer Brandy at Lower Merion HS. Saying he was nervous with butterflies in his stomach before playing in front of a sellout crowd of 4000 at the Pyramid, Kobe showed several flashes of what was to come along side fellow rookies Derek Fisher and George Lynch. Kobe finished with 27 points, most of them from the free throw line where he went 18 for 20. He grabbed 5 boards and commited 5 turnovers in 27 minutes of action for Laker SPL coach Larry Drew. Enjoy!