Remembering Kobe Bryant

As the sports world comes to terms with his unexpected passing, I take a look back at the life and career of one of the greatest and most polarising players in NBA history.

Kobe ‘Bean’ Bryant was one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball.

I say that in the knowledge that he was one of the most divisive players of his generation. Some loved him. Others loathed him. But no matter what side of that particular fence you’re on, his will to succeed, his inhuman work ethic and his sheer determination to be the best is something that cannot be denied by anybody who had the fortune to see him play.

Whether it’s the 81-point outburst against Toronto, the time that he outscored the entire Mavericks team over three quarters by himself, or the fourth-quarter comeback against the Blazers in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals, every NBA fan remembers witnessing Kobe Bryant do something we all thought was unthinkable.

Amassing 33,643 points over the course of a career spanning two decades, he attained five NBA titles as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also the winner of the regular-season MVP award, two-time winner of the NBA Finals MVP award, and he produced the second-highest scoring total…