The life and the legend of the Black Mamba, told in an abundantly illustrated book for young readers.
For his entire career, Kobe Bryant had an unquenchable drive not just to be great, but to be the very bestto rival Michael Jordan as the number one shooting guard of all time. This fast-paced book traces his entire journey: from his childhood in Italy to his dazzling high school career in Lower Merion, PA, to the ups and downs (and five NBA championships) of his 20 seasons with the Lakers, to his retirement (announced in his famous poem Dear Basketball) and his tragic death at the age of 41. Full of action-packed colour photos, this latest installment in the best-selling Abbeville Sports series will inspire young basketball fans with their own dreams of glory.
Heir Apparent 6
Kobe Bean 8
Family Matters 10
Like Father, Like Son 12
One-track Mind 14
Back to America 16
The Prodigy 18
The Secret 20
Out on Top 22
The Decision 24
Celebrity Status 26
Career Prep 28
Jerrys Vision 30
Draft Night 32
Rookie Blues 34
Kobe the All-Star 36
Comebacl Duo 38
Threepeat 40
Dark Days 42
The Black Mamba 44
81 46
Redeem Team 48
Back on Top 50
Mamba Out 52
Second Act 54
Girl Dad 56
Tragedy and Legacy 58
By the Numbers 60
Tyler Blue is the author of Stars of the NFL, Legends of the NFL, and Stars of World Tennis in the Abbeville Sports series. A former college football player and avid sports fan, Blue has journalism degrees from the University of Dayton and Northwestern University. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and four young children.
