#Kobe bryant imagesize 640x480 professional#

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. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. The woman had filed a separate civil suit against Bryant, and had agreed to dismissal of the sexual-assault charge against him provided the athlete issued the following apology to his accuser, which was read in court by Bryant’s attorney:įirst, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. 1, 2004, one week before opening statements were to be made, the case was dismissed after the accuser, who had been dragged through the mud for months by the media and Bryant’s defense team, informed the court that she would not testify. Despite being charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment-facing life in prison-and tearfully confessing to committing adultery with his 19-year-old accuser, Bryant’s case never made it to trial.

But what exactly transpired on the night of June 30, 2003, at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, in Colorado, may always be a mystery. The Kobe Bryant rape case has, in the annals of popular culture, been reduced to something of a punchline due to the aftermath-namely, Bryant’s $4 million, 8-carat purple diamond apology ring that he gifted to his wife, Vanessa. He will go down as the second-best shooting guard in NBA history-behind His Airness-and one of the Top 20 players to ever set foot on the hardwood.īut when taking into account the entire breadth of Bryant’s tenure in the spotlight, the personal and professional, there will always be one giant question mark, one disturbing episode that gives even the most ardent admirers of the Black Mamba considerable pause: the rape case. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, and five-time NBA champion.

#Kobe bryant imagesize 640x480 professional#

His professional résumé is, of course, indisputable. And during this, his 20th and final NBA season, Bryant has received an extended valediction fit for a king, replete with celebrations, movie-star commercials, and unanimous praise from basketball stars past and present. This is Kobe's 20-year NBA story told through the eyes and voices of 12 talented photojournalists who were an intimate part of the journey.On April 13, Kobe Bean Bryant will don his Lakers jersey for the last time. Mostly, they share what they will remember and what they will miss most as a legend exits his stage. The photographers who captured many of Kobe's classic moments - sitting exhausted with Shaquille O'Neal after their first title, taking impossible shots in crowds of defenders, screaming with Lakers fans amid confetti after his final championship - describe how they got the shots and what made them resonate. And they will be there in force Wednesday night at Staples Center to document the end of a drama-filled career that helped bring five more banners to the Lakers and saw Kobe score more points than anyone in NBA history except Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. Those cameras were clicking on and off the court throughout Kobe's Lakers-record 1,345 games played. That's how it goes when you enter the Hollywood scene at age 17, as the first guard to leap from preps to pros, billed as the next in a long line of Lakers greats. Ameras have closely followed Kobe Bryant for more than half his life.