Kobe Bryant: The Pursuit of Immortality

The Rise: Kobe Bryant's Journey from Neighborhood Standout to NBA Superstar

Dive into the life of one of the most captivating and consequential figures in our culture with "The Rise," an audiobook that promises to provide an unprecedented insight into Kobe Bryant's early life and the making of an icon.

Kobe Bryant's tragic death in January 2020 shook the worlds of sports and celebrity, unveiling the full breadth and depth of his influence on our culture. In "The Rise," listeners will embark on a journey that traces Kobe's path from the neighborhood streets of Southwest Philadelphia, where his father, Joe, became a local basketball standout, to the Bryant family's isolation in Italy, where Kobe spent his formative years, and finally to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe's legend was born.

The story will chronicle Kobe's high school career at Lower Merion, where he led the Aces to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship, a dramatic underdog run for a team with just one star player. It will also delve into the events leading up to the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe's dream of playing professional basketball was realized as he was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers.

What sets "The Rise" apart is the author's access to a series of never-before-released interviews with Kobe during his senior season and early days in the NBA. For a quarter century, these tapes and transcripts have preserved Kobe's thoughts, dreams, and goals from his teenage years, offering unprecedented insights and untold stories about the man before he truly became a legend.

This audiobook is more than just a basketball story; it is an exploration of the identity and making of an icon, and the effect of his development on those around him. Listeners will be taken on a journey that delves into the essence of the man before he ascended to the heights of basketball greatness.

Includes a bonus episode from the podcast "I Am Kobe," providing an inside look at one of the most captivating and consequential figures in our culture, with never-before-heard interviews.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press, "The Rise" promises to deliver a captivating and insightful portrait of Kobe Bryant's early life and the shaping of a legend.

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