We begin our #BlackHistoryMonth features by honoring a legend. Kobe “Bean” Bryant – a loving husband, proud father and basketball icon. “The Black Mamba.”🏀 . . Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is named after a city in Japan and is the son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. Bryant spoke a couple languages fluently, as he spent nearly a decade growing up in Italy. . . In just his second season with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19. He won 3 back-to-back NBA championships and a host of other trailblazing, legendary accomplishments. . . . Aside from the game of basketball, Kobe was committed to his family, working hard and being an inspiration, “I create my own path. It was straight and narrow. I looked at it this way: you were either in my way, or out of it.” He was also dedicated to pouring into the next generation. “Use your success, wealth and influen...