Basketball has had its fair share of exceptional players from Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and presently Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is one of the few players that seems to be in another class when it comes to playing on the hard court. However, his prowess is not the only thing going for him as he is continuously creating history with every step inside the basketball court. Here are just a few interesting and obscure facts about the talented basketball player:

1 point: During a game in 2003 against the Seattle Supersonics, Kobe Bryant was able to accumulate 12 3-pointers which is the record for the most 3-point scores achieved in a single game.

2 points: One of Kobe Bryant’s training regimens is taken from boxing as he is known to play against his shadow while practicing solo.

3 points: Kobe speaks fluent Italian as he spent eight years in Italy when he was a child.

4 points: His name was actually taken by his parents from a menu for a steak they saw while dining at a restaurant.

5 points: Kobe’s career highlight came when he was able to score 81 points in a single game. The final score of the game was 122-104; he actually scored more than half of the L.A. Lakers’ final score.

6 points: Kobe Bryant is said to have made his first actual dunk when he was only 14 years old. One thing’s for sure, not many 14-year-olds out there can claim the same.

7 points: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are presently being seen today as taking the seat that Michael Jordan vacated, but analysts believe that Kobe is more worthy due to his attitude and work ethic.

8 points: Kobe Bryant did not start his career exceptionally as he only averaged 7 points per game compared to his average today of 30 points.

9 points: Kobe wore the number 33 during his high school career but changed it to 8 in his professional career due to it being sentimental to him as it was the number he used while playing in Italy as a child.

10 points: His full name is Kobe Bean Bryant. The ‘œBean’ is a reference to his father’s nickname during his basketball days which was ‘œJellybean.’