Kobe Bryant Favorite Books
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Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet)
He became obsessed with the sci-fi thriller Ender's Game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Rising Superstars
From the Book of Antetokounmpo: The greatest gift is understanding HOW to use the gifts we’ve been given.
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
The best way to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to ensure kids understand his purpose, message and impact so that they can carry it forward. This is a great way to start teaching them.
Rudy
This morning I received a copy of his book. It dives even deeper into his journey.
A Companion to Greek Mythology
During his recovery from his torn Achilles tendon, he became obsessed with the legend of Achilles, the warrior from Greek mythology who chose a short life that would be remembered for eternity over a long life of little consequence.
A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle
Thank you mamacita for my all-time favorite Christmas gift!
Leadership
I loved Team of Rivals, and Leadership really built on the things I had taken away from that book. Moving from basketball to building a company, I needed to learn new and different leadership skills, and Goodwin outlines the different skill-sets of Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Lyndon Johnson, accessibly.
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Monday's Not Coming
Jackson’s book is a great study in how to build character, the strength and importance of friendship, and excellent writing. It’s tense like a horror story and yet very real and utterly compelling.
Range
This book looks at how an emphasis on specialization can actually hamper our ability to really excel at something. It aligns with what I try to do when I am coaching, in my stories, and what we’re doing with Mamba Sports Academy — create all-around athletes who can think critically and make assessments in real time to enhance their play rather than rely only on a narrow set of skills.
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
I am a big fan of epic fantasy series and the world-building by James is excellent. It’s immersive and makes for a powerful story.
Tuff Juice
Bryant wrote the forward to basketball veteran Caron Bulter’s “Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA.”
Thirty Rooms to Hide in
Nothing like a good book to take my mind of last night’s tough loss. I'm lovin this one!
The Tipping Point
Before Bryant read “Blink,” he read “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.”
Jason Reynolds's Track Series Paperback Collection
I would recommend all four novels in Reynold’s “Track Series”: “Ghost,” “Patina,” “Sunny” and “Lu”. The book is about a group of middle-school kids that are track-and-field athletes. It’s about the challenges that they face, not just on the track while competing, but also off the track. I’m recommending the book because the book is about dealing with challenges and the adversity that comes with that. And digging deep and fighting through those challenges and fighting through those obstacles.
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Shoe Dog
There comes a time in every life where the past recedes and the future opens. It's that moment when you turn to face the unknown. Some will turn back to what they already know. Some will walk straight ahead into uncertainty. I can't tell you which one is right. But I can tell you which one is more fun.
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Relentless
The blueprint for discovering what you are capable of achieving, getting results you never imagined, reaching the highest level of success—and then going even higher.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
One player asked Bryant: "What's your favorite book?" He said, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."
The Hero's Journey
"This isn't a death to me so much as it is an evolution, a transformation, or as Joseph Campbell would say, 'the new normal.'" We talked often that year about Joseph Campbell and "The Hero's Journey."
Way of the Champion
The Way of the Champion: Lessons from Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ and other Tao Wisdom for Sports & Life.
The World Is Flat 3.0
Upon giving him “Blink,” Jackson realized he and Bryant were in the process of reading another book at the very same time: Thomas L. Friedman’s “The World is Flat”
Blink
It was reported last year that Jackson – in the coach’s annual reach-out project to his players – gave Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink” about trusting instinctual thought, and Bryant actually read it.