Mr. Bryant’s professional resumé was striking. In addition to two Olympic gold medals, he captured five NBA titles with the Lakers, twice was the league’s scoring leader and ranks fourth in points in both the regular season and postseason. The league’s 2008 MVP, he twice was NBA Finals MVP. He was an 18-time All-Star and 11 times a first-team all-NBA performer. The 81 points he scored against Toronto in 2006 remains the second highest single-game point total in NBA history, a figure topped only by Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. And his defense was nearly as impressive as his offense. Nine times, he earned a spot as a first-team all-NBA defender.