August 8, 2016
In this engaging though uneven biography, Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life, turns his eye to another basketball legend: the recently retired Kobe Bryant. As a kid, Bryant dissected videotaped NBA games and committed himself to practice with a flagellant’s zeal, screaming at and then chasing a teammate who botched a drill. That devotion, coupled with his otherworldly abilities (his father, Joe, played in the NBA), made Bryant a first-round NBA draft pick at age 17. Dizzying success followed: five NBA championships, an MVP award, Olympic gold medals. However, he became hardened by challenges: an uncommunicative head coach in Phil Jackson; a superstar teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, whose fun-loving approach was his polar antithesis; and sexual assault charges in 2003. The book works best when Lazenby explores Bryant’s childhood and his competitive makeup. This portion of the books also occurs before Lazenby’s utilitarian fact/long quote/fact style grows exhausting. Eventually, the author runs out of sources, and the narrative turns into a year-by-year recap of Bryant’s career, often lacking genuine insight.
A mammoth biography of one of basketball's most complicated stars.How readers respond to Lazenby's (Michael Jordan: The Life, 2014, etc.) new tome will depend in no small part on how they feel about the Los Angeles Lakers' mercurial Kobe Bryant and whether or not they buy into the idea that the recently retired superstar warrants a biography of more than 600 pages. There is no doubt that Bryant helped carry the NBA into the post-Michael Jordan era, but he was also difficult, hypercompetitive, and inclined toward self-aggrandizement--"showboat" was a nickname bestowed on him by teammates early in his career. Bryant alienated many of the people in his life, from teammates, whether little-used benchwarmers or future Hall of Famers, to family--he ended up estranged from even those who had been closest to him, including his parents (his father was a former NBA and Italian league player). Allegations of a sexual assault of a Colorado hotel worker in 2003 made him more toxic to some, even after authorities dropped the case when the alleged victim refused to testify. As he did with Michael Jordan and Jerry West, Lazenby tells Bryant's story well, and he has a firm grip on the history and culture of the NBA. However, the question remains as to whether Bryant warrants this much space so soon after his 2016 retirement; it is likely too soon for the necessary critical distance in assessing his life and its significance in the history of the NBA. Customarily, such lengthy sports biographies require the subject to transcend sports, and Lazenby does not make a convincing enough case that Bryant does so. Still, the future Hall of Famer's life is interesting, and much of the narrative is unquestionably compelling. This is bound to be the best biography of Kobe Bryant for some time, even if at times it may be overkill. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 15, 2016
Lazenby (Michael Jordan: The Life) chronicles basketball superstar Kobe Bryant's pursuit for greatness, from his childhood in Italy to his last NBA game in 2016. Bryant (b. 1978) was exposed to professional basketball at an early age, as his father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played for the Philadelphia 76ers. After winning a state championship in high school, Bryant decided to forgo college, being drafted by the NBA at age 17 and spending his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, from 1996 to 2006. His relentless work ethic and strong personality led him to five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, an 81-point game, and countless other accomplishments. These same attributes alienated him from coaches and teammates, most notably Shaquille O'Neal. Despite his success on the court, Bryant's once close relationship with his family dissolved over money issues. Lazenby recounts the details behind the rape charges against Bryant, which threatened his career and marriage. He also provides insight into the shoe wars between Nike and Adidas, the inner workings of the Lakers' organization and the culture of the NBA. VERDICT While all basketball fans will learn something new from this biography, it is especially recommended for die-hard fans of Bryant or the Lakers.--Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2016
Kobe Bryant was an NBA all-star 18 times in his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he was also a polarizing figure. Certainly he was the opponent fans of rival teams loved to hate, and he feuded openly with his teammates, most notably Shaquille O'Neal. Lazenby, author of best-selling biographies of Michael Jordan and Jerry West, interviewed hundreds of players, coaches, and broadcasters through the years to construct a portrait of Bryant as a driven, very complex man who skipped college and went straight to the NBA, becoming an all-star at 19. Lazenby devotes much of the book to Bryant's coming-of-age years (his father was an NBA player, and Kobe was around the game from the beginning), but there is plenty of space for the Shaq and post-Shaq eras, as well as the rape accusation (charges were eventually dropped, though an out-of-court settlement was made) that threatened Bryant's career. As always, Lazenby does fine work bringing together the star's on- and off-court lives into an entertaining narrative that will draw NBA fans young and old.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
October 31, 2005
The love-'em-or-hate-'em Los Angeles Lakers and their 14 NBA championships may be the most overreported story in professional basketball, with countless books written about the team's flashy playing style and the notorious off-court activities of superstars like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Lazenby, having written excellent books on current Lakers coach Phil Jackson and top Lakers player Kobe Bryant, possesses tremendous insight into the team, plus the trust of players and coaches, which helps him deliver this entertaining oral history. Fans—and detractors—of today's Lakers will devour the book's second half, which presents insights into the Kareem-Magic years, especially about the women and drugs readily available to NBA players. But Lazenby also presents how the 1940s rivalry between center George Mikan and guard Jim Pollard parallels the recent rivalry between center Shaquille O'Neal and guard Bryant. Many authors have depicted the brusque, demanding nature of Jack Kent Cooke, the big-spending Lakers owner during the 1960s and early '70s, as Lazenby does, but it's refreshing to read former Laker Rod Hundley's pithy appraisal of Cooke: "He was the number one asshole that ever lived."
August 15, 2016
A mammoth biography of one of basketballs most complicated stars.How readers respond to Lazenbys (Michael Jordan: The Life, 2014, etc.) new tome will depend in no small part on how they feel about the Los Angeles Lakers mercurial Kobe Bryant and whether or not they buy into the idea that the recently retired superstar warrants a biography of more than 600 pages. There is no doubt that Bryant helped carry the NBA into the postMichael Jordan era, but he was also difficult, hypercompetitive, and inclined toward self-aggrandizementshowboat was a nickname bestowed on him by teammates early in his career. Bryant alienated many of the people in his life, from teammates, whether little-used benchwarmers or future Hall of Famers, to familyhe ended up estranged from even those who had been closest to him, including his parents (his father was a former NBA and Italian league player). Allegations of a sexual assault of a Colorado hotel worker in 2003 made him more toxic to some, even after authorities dropped the case when the alleged victim refused to testify. As he did with Michael Jordan and Jerry West, Lazenby tells Bryants story well, and he has a firm grip on the history and culture of the NBA. However, the question remains as to whether Bryant warrants this much space so soon after his 2016 retirement; it is likely too soon for the necessary critical distance in assessing his life and its significance in the history of the NBA. Customarily, such lengthy sports biographies require the subject to transcend sports, and Lazenby does not make a convincing enough case that Bryant does so. Still, the future Hall of Famers life is interesting, and much of the narrative is unquestionably compelling. This is bound to be the best biography of Kobe Bryant for some time, even if at times it may be overkill.
COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.