Kobe Bryant was 18 years old when he formally introduced himself as a budding star to a national audience. It was in Cleveland, Ohio, at the league's 47th All-Star Weekend; a celebrity-studded event to commemorate the NBA’s 50-year anniversary.
Up until the midseason break, Bryant’s NBA career was but a blip—more spectacle than substance. In 39 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game, with a field-goal percentage that barely cracked 40 percent. He came off the bench in all but two games and was hardly a dependable figure in head coach Del Harris’ rotation, stuck behind Eddie Jones and a 35-year-old Byron Scott.