Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August 1978. But, to a generation of basketball fans, he will forever be known as a Los Angeles Laker. The NBA star played for the SoCal team for 20 years – from 1996 until 2016. Over those two decades he played in an impressive seven NBA Finals, helping his team to win five times.

Off the court, Kobe once took singer Brandy Norwood to her high school prom. Five years after that showbiz moment he wed Vanessa Laine in 2001. The Bryants went on to have four daughters – Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri who were born in 2003, 2006, 2016, and 2019 respectively. Their romance hasn’t been smooth sailing, however. In 2003 – the year their first child was born – Kobe was arrested and charged with sexual assault after he was accused of rape. The case was dismissed and the athlete was never tried or found guilty of any crime. In fact, he maintained that the encounter was consensual.

Kobe was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26. He was 41 years old at the time of his death.