Kobe Bryant wanted to be remembered by three things: a basketball player, a businessman, and a storyteller. Today we're going to look at Kobe Bryant books. Every book the legend helped to create.
He started his own production company Granity Studios in 2016. It has since produced podcasts, TV shows, and books. One of his most famous works, which inspired many aspiring athletes across the world, was written out of love for the game. The 2018 Oscar-winning animated short “Dear Basketball” was based on a poem Bryant wrote when he retired as a Laker in 2020.
Half a year after Kobe’s tragic death, these books may just provide a glimpse of his ideas, philosophy, coaching — for those who seek to find solace and inspiration from one of basketball’s greatest players.
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play
Released back in 2018, this coffee-table book in collaboration with NBA photographer Andy Bernstein outlines Kobe’s on and off-the-court strategies for the game. Here, Kobe talks about the physical and mental strength it takes to excel in the sport he loves. Highly technical yet superbly inspirational, the book reach the top of Amazon’s non-fiction list earlier in the year.
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Check out the Kobe Bryant book here.
Legacy and the Queen (with Annie Matthew)
Bryant also helped create this children’s book with author Annie Matthew, published late last year. Set in the fictional Republic of Nova where tennis is practically worshipped, this book fuses magic and tennis in one. It tells the story of a poor twelve-year-old girl named Legacy and her journey to win The Queen’s prestiged tennis tournament. Bryant said he discussed the book’s philosophies with 23-time Grand Slam champion and tennis icon Serena Williams.
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Check out the Kobe Bryant book here.
Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof (with Ivy Claire)
This book, in collaboration with Ivy Claire, fuses sports, fantasy, magic, and middle-grade drama together. Author Ivy Claire perfectly fits Bryant’s job description for this book as she is a former athlete herself with a degree in the classics. Epoca is the story of two children from vastly different worlds (low-born Rovi and princess Pretia) and their battle against the rising forces of darkness within the world’s most elite sports academy.
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Check out the Kobe Bryant book here.
The Wizenard Series: Season One (with Wesley King)
The second installment in a series about Reggie, a bench warmer for the losing West Bottom Badgers. Bryant was in collaboration with fellow author Wesley King. According to the LA Times, “Bryant came up with the ideas and King put them on paper”. The first book of the series, “Training Camp,” was published in March 2019.
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Check out the Kobe Bryant book here.
Geese Are Never Swans (with Eva Clark)
In Bryant's latest release, Gus is an aspiring Olympic swimmer who dealt with the loss (and of the shadow) of his older brother Danny, who committed suicide after failing to qualify for the national team. Written by Eva Clark, this emotional novel tells the story of loss, grief, but most of all, healing inside the world of sports.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbonA5A2zl/
Check out the Kobe Bryant book here.
The world may have grieved his sudden departure, but Kobe and his legacy will live on the hearts of his fans and on the books and ideas he helped create. Many believe that storytelling has the power to change the world. Take it from the man who did.
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