Kobe Bryant co-wrote several books for young readers though his publishing and production company Granite Studios. At the time of his death, he was working on a new book with Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, but the book will never see the light of day. The author, best known internationally for writing the novel The Alchemist, said he deleted the draft hours after Bryant died.
“I deleted the draft because it didn’t make any sense to publish without him,” Coelho told The Associated Press on Jan. 27 from his home in Geneva. “It wouldn’t add anything relevant to him or his family.”
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“That doesn’t stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger-than-life person he was,” the author continued. “But the children’s book did not make sense anymore.”
Coelho said they started talking about the book in 2016, the year Bryant retired from the Los Angeles Lakers. He said they started writing just a few months ago.
The author also shared the news on Twitter, including a screenshot of a direct message Bryant sent in August 2019, asking him to collaborate.
“You were more than a great player, dear Kobe Bryant,” Coelho tweeted hours after Bryant’s death. “I learned a lot by interacting with you. Will delete the draft right now, this book has lost its reason.”
Coelho did not say how much work was done on the book before Bryant’s death, but many of his Twitter followers suggested he should still finish it as a way to honor Bryant.
“Perhaps it would be a way to honour him if you still wrote it,” one person tweeted. “But only if you have the heart, will and desire to do it.”
“Please don’t delete it, Mr. Coelho,” another wrote. “Mamba Mentality would say to persevere, to persist. Fight the good fight.”
“How sad that you deleted the draft!” another chimed in. “The money that would’ve been made could have been put to good use to kids everywhere. There needs to be more great after school programs for children and the biggest issue is financial. I bet Kobe would’ve approved!”
After Bryant’s death, his books for middle grade readers topped the New York Times‘ Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover bestsellers list. Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof was at the top, followed by Legacy and The Queen and The Wizenard: Training Camp, reports CBS News.
Byant’s 2018 book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play also topped Amazon’s non-fiction list.
The Los Angeles Lakers star retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the team. He won five NBA championships and two Summer Olympics gold medals. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also on the helicopter at the time of the crash, along with seven other victims. They were on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy for a basketball tournament.
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