“Kobe Bryant was crying in the shower after winning the 2001 Championship!”

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's partnership began to take off during the 1999–2000 season, and they eventually won their first title as a team. They later went on to win another championship in 2000-01 and then again in 2001-02.

After claiming his second consecutive championship, Kobe was photographed sobbing in the shower while holding the Larry O'Brien trophy. People mistakenly believed that they were happy tears, but the real cause was very different.

Let’s take a look at what the real reason behind this was!

Kobe was selected by the NBA right out of high school in 1996. His parents remained in Philadelphia even though he relocated to Los Angeles for his team.

In 2000, 21-year-old Kobe got engaged with an 18-year-old Vanessa Laine. Kobe's father disapproved of their relationship since Vanessa was a "Latina." He wanted Kobe to wed an African-American woman, which strained his relationship with Kobe's parents.

Kobe's parents weren't present in 2001 when the Lakers faced the Sixers in the Finals. The Mamba's tears in the shower after winning his second championship were actually caused due to this!