The Los Angeles Public Library has curated 15 books to commemorate the shock passing of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant.
The compilation, which was released one week after his death was once recommended by the basketball legend.
Speaking after the release, librarian Keith Kesler wrote on the library’s website: “As one would expect from a passionate storyteller, Bryant also appreciated reading a good book.”
“I searched through old interviews and social media posts to find the books that inspired the Black Mamba,” he wrote.
The 15 books are: “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho; “The Illustrated Art of War,” Sun Tzu; “Blink” and “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell; “Children of Blood and Bone,” Tomi Adeymi; “The Hero’s Journey,” Joseph Campbell; “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” Richard Bach; “Lone Survivor,” Marcus Luttrell; “Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable,” by revered trainer Tim Grover.
The rest are “Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike,” Phil Knight; “The Silver Linings Playbook,” by Matthew Quick; “Sunny,” Jason Reynolds, “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” by presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; “Thirty Rooms to Hide In,” Luke Sullivan and “Tuff Juice,” Caron Butler.
Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore, tragically lost their lives alongside seven others when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, January 26.
He was regarded as one of the best basketballers of all time. Before his death, Bryant was a record-breaker. He was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player, winning five NBA championships.
He ranked fourth on the league’s all-time regular-season scoring list and was only surpassed by another Laker, Lebron James. According to Forbes, he was worth $500 million in 2019
Following a beautiful tribute for him at the Grammy Awards, the Oscars will honor him for his biographical short film, ‘Dear Basketball.’
