Kobe Bryant is a former professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years. He was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Kobe Bryant's nickname was 'Black Mamba' and his jersey number was 24.