Kobe Bryant has been an inspiration for sports fans young and old for the past 20 years of his career. In acknowledgement of his dedication and hard work, the recently retired NBA player is set to receive the Legend Award at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports Awards 2016.
“It’s an honor to receive Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports Legend Award,” Bryant said in a statement. “This is a great opportunity to inspire kids to never lose their imaginations and to dream bigger than what they think is possible. If you stay true to that, the hard work, the dedication and the success will always follow.”
Mamba played his last game, after 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, on April 13. During his career he has acquired such accomplishments as five NBA Championships, two Olympic gold medals, NBA MVP, and two NBA Finals MVP titles.
Bryant is only the third to ever receive this award following David Beckham and Derek Jeter.
The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Award show is set to air July 17, at 8 p.m. on Nickelodeon.