Meta description: Kobe Bryant biography book guide covers 5 titles, including Showboat and The Mamba Mentality, with authors, page counts, and reading ages compared.
Kobe Bryant Biography Book: 5 Titles That Cover His Life, Career, and Mindset
What Is a Kobe Bryant Biography Book?
A Kobe Bryant biography book is a published account of Kobe Bryant’s life and basketball career. Kobe Bryant lived from 1978 to 2020 and won 5 NBA championships.
Examples include Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant: Legends in Sports, and Who Was Kobe Bryant? The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is a first-person account, not a biography.
Which Kobe Bryant Biography Book Is the Most Comprehensive?
Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby is a full-length adult biography. Little, Brown published the 608-page hardcover in 2016.
Lazenby also wrote Michael Jordan: The Life and Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon. He has interviewed NBA players, coaches, and staff for 3 decades.
Showboat covers Bryant’s career conflicts with Shaquille O’Neal, coach Phil Jackson, and the law. It was shortlisted for best biography at the 2017 British Sports Book Awards.
Publishers Weekly described the book as engaging though uneven. The review noted that the childhood and competitive-makeup sections work best.
Which Kobe Bryant Book Did Kobe Bryant Write Himself?
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s own book on his career and training. MCD, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, published it on October 23, 2018.
The 208-page book includes photographs by Andrew D. Bernstein, a foreword by Pau Gasol, and an introduction by Phil Jackson. Bryant describes his preparation methods, including a routine of three two-hour training sessions that started at 5 a.m.
Which Kobe Bryant Biography Books Suit Young Readers?
Three Kobe Bryant biography books target readers aged 8 to 12. They are:
- Kobe Bryant: Legends in Sports by Matt Christopher: traces his life from childhood to five NBA championships, his post-playing career, and his death
- Who Was Kobe Bryant? by Ellen Labrecque: covers his path from high school to NBA stardom, including the 81-point game
- Kobe Bryant by Jeff Savage: opens with the 2009 NBA Finals and follows his rise to NBA stardom
Matt Christopher’s earlier edition, On the Court with Kobe Bryant, was published in 2001 and ends at the Lakers’ 2000 championship.
How Do the 5 Kobe Bryant Books Compare?
The table below compares 5 Kobe Bryant books by title, author, type, publication year, target audience, and page count.
| Title | Author | Type | Year | Audience | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant | Roland Lazenby | Biography | 2016 | Adults | 608 |
| The Mamba Mentality: How I Play | Kobe Bryant | First-person photo book | 2018 | Adults and players | 208 |
| Kobe Bryant: Legends in Sports | Matt Christopher | Biography | 2021 | Ages 8 to 12 | 192 |
| Who Was Kobe Bryant? | Ellen Labrecque | Biography | 2020 | Ages 8 to 12 | 56 |
| Kobe Bryant | Jeff Savage | Biography | 2010 | Ages 9 to 12 | 105 |
What Topics Do Kobe Bryant Biography Books Cover?
Kobe Bryant biography books cover 6 main topics. They include:
- Childhood and his father, former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant
- The move from high school to the NBA
- Five NBA championships with the Lakers
- Training routines and game preparation
- Career conflicts with teammates and coaches
- Life after basketball, including the 2018 Academy Award for Dear Basketball
How Do You Choose a Kobe Bryant Biography Book?
Choose a Kobe Bryant biography book by following 4 steps:
- Identify the reader’s age group.
- Select between an outside biography and a first-person account.
- Compare page counts, from 56 pages to 608 pages.
- Check the publication year, since earlier editions end before his death.
What Do People Also Ask About Kobe Bryant Biography Books?
Who wrote the Kobe Bryant biography Showboat?
Roland Lazenby wrote Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant.
Did Kobe Bryant write a book?
Kobe Bryant wrote The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, published on October 23, 2018.
How long is Showboat?
The Little, Brown hardcover has 608 pages, and the paperback has 640 pages.
Which Kobe Bryant book suits children?
Kobe Bryant: Legends in Sports by Matt Christopher suits ages 8 to 12.
Who photographed The Mamba Mentality?
Andrew D. Bernstein, a Hall of Fame photographer, took the photographs.
Which Kobe Bryant Biography Book Fits Which Reader?
Each Kobe Bryant biography book targets a different reader. Adults seeking a full-length account read Showboat. Readers seeking his own words and training methods read The Mamba Mentality. Readers aged 8 to 12 read Kobe Bryant: Legends in Sports or Who Was Kobe Bryant?