and 24, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise. Bryant finished the season averaging less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the 2003–04 season. In addition to his abilities on offense, Bryant also established himself as a standout defensive player.

In the summer of 2003, the sheriff's office of Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee. The Lakers defeated the Spurs in five games, sending themselves to the NBA Finals, against the Boston Celtics. Three times Bryant had exceeded 40 minutes in a game, [279] and the coach blamed himself for overloading him after he started the season in such great shape. They would go on to win the next four games and bring their second championship to Los Angeles in as many seasons. com, 2005–06 NBA Season Summary Archived September 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, accessed, December 8, 2007.This map shows the exact path of Kobe Bryant's helicopter before it crashed, killing all 9 people on board".

On February 7, Bryant and his daughter were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, California. However, the Lakers were able to beat their division rivals and make their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

Bryant's longtime head coach Phil Jackson noted a big difference during his two Lakers coaching stints in Bryant's demeanor towards his teammates. On March 12, 2014, the Lakers ruled Bryant out for the remainder of the season, citing his need for more rehab and the limited time remaining in the season. Despite an injury to his shooting hand's small finger, described as "a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint" that occurred in a game on February 5, 2008, Bryant played all 82 games of the regular season instead of opting for surgery.