Thanks to Los Angeles Lakers forward Thomas Bryant’s decent play as of late, he has found himself under the spotlight among NBA fans. And thanks to his last name, which he happens to share with NBA Legend Kobe “Jellybean” Bryant, the fan universe has been left wondering whether the two are related, after all.
To put it simply, the answer is no. Thomas and Kobe are not even remotely related. Thomas Bryant, born in July 1997, when Kobe had already entered the NBA after high school, just happens to share the family name “Bryant” with the Black Mamba. Thomas was born to parents who were basketball fans but never played a professional basketball game.
Sources: Lakers are selecting Indiana’s Thomas Bryant with the No. 42 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2017
Kobe, on the other hand, had a father who played in the NBA for several years, while also playing overseas in countries like Italy, where Kobe spent much of his childhood.
Thomas Bryant had to earn his playing time in the league
Young Thomas Bryant is still finding his niche in the league, after being drafted in the second round and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017, where he played for a year before being waived.
The Washington Wizards picked him off waivers in 2018, where his stay was riddled with injuries among a few bright moments sprinkled here and there. On December 22, 2018, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, Bryant scored a career-high 31 points on a perfect 14-14 shooting, tying for the fourth most field goals made without a miss in NBA history.
He returned to Los Angeles after signing with the Lakers in 2022 and has been a solid frontcourt presence for them, arguably playing the best basketball of his career, as his team strives to make a serious push for another championship. He’s quietly averaging double-digit points per game and 6.6 rebounds, which is top-10 in the league.
Thomas Bryant since AD went down:
• 15.5 PPG
• 9.7 RPG
• 64.4% FG
• 55.6% 3pt (1.8 attempts per game)
• 10 gamesComing off an ACL tear & the guy just plays so hard. Been one of the few bright spots & I hope he sticks around🤞 pic.twitter.com/kw1pKHcN6u
— 🌟Fake (@LALeBron23) January 3, 2023
He’s had his share of moments as well, including a game-winning dunk against his former team Washington Wizards, leading the Lakers to a 119-117 victory. He finally seems to be getting comfortable in the league and is under pretty good guidance with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis on his team.
Tie game. Seven seconds left. Thomas Bryant wins it off the wild play 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RLCQdb0uMt
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 19, 2022
If he stays injury-free and keeps earning his minutes as he has been, he can continue to be a force on the court for years to come.