Who Was Kobe Bryant?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Ellen Labrecque, Who H.Q., Gregory Copeland (Illustrator)

Told in a new Who HQ NOW format for trending topics, this Who Was? biography details NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's legendary career and the impact of his legacy on the sports world and beyond.

Kobe Bryant was just an eighteen-year-old high-school basketball player when he decided to enter the National Basketball Association's draft. Though he was the thirteenth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets, he would never play a single game for them. Instead, Kobe was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would spend his entire twenty-season career, winning five championships and numerous awards. Author Ellen Labreque takes readers through each exciting moment, from his iconic dunks to his 81-point game--all the milestones that span Kobe Bryant's legendary career and legacy.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Middle Grade, Childrens, Juvenile

56 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2020

Reviews

[Licha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the books in this series, but of all the ones I've read, this has to be my least favorite. I knew something was wrong when I saw that this was less than half the size of the normal books (those are usually between 100-110 pages long, while this one was under 50 pages). It felt rushed, like the author was forced to turn in what she had written so far so that it could be sent to press. Therefore, it seemed like there were chunks of story missing. It would go from a brief mention on some momentous event in Kobe's life and then all of a sudden it would jump several years ahead only to make another brief description of whatever happened that year.

This did not shy away from mentioning his rape trial in 2004. As usual, I appreciate that such matters don't get brushed over even though it's a children's book. It was a brief mention, but it was in there. However, where was the story about his family life growing up (it is only mentioned that he moved to Italy as a child , no more, no less.), how he met his wife Vanessa, his life as a dad, his life after retiring from basketball. Even winning the Oscar is one sentence blurb. There is probably more substance in a magazine article about Kobe than there was in this book. I was highly disappointed. I really wish they could have waited to print this once they had written a more complete story about Kobe instead of trying to milk off his recent death by publishing so soon after. The illustrations however, are great. The art gets 5 stars if rated individually.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over five and a half years later, this book was still difficult to read- not once I’d started, but in thinking about reading it. While some aspects of this book were done well, there was no place for the SA accusation and trial in a children’s book. The author also placed too much of an emphasis on Kobe’s time on planes and how he read and watched playback videos of his games. It would have been fine except that this was specifically done in an effort to back up the biased point that he did this “instead of talking and laughing with teammates.” This was mentioned not once but twice… The author initially seemed to have an out of place bias against Kobe, as she really emphasized incidents and instances in his life story that she believed made him selfish. There are probably at least thousands of authors who would have done this differently and respected Kobe and his legacy more. I hated the negative tone that a good portion of the book had, and I almost couldn’t finish reading it. While the author described Kobe’s transformation of character and mindset (which we should associate with him), she failed to mention Kobe’s faith in God. That was pinnacle in his life, and she should have mentioned that instead of unrelated world events such as the coronavirus pandemic- which Kobe didn’t experience during his lifetime. There was also no point in mentioning “climate change.” Incorporating one’s own political bias is disrespectful, especially in this book. Kobe Bryant is in my opinion and in the minds of so many others, the hardest working athlete of our generation.

[Victoria B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the ebook version, and TBH, it read like a slapdash memorial profile from a sports magazine. The book focused mostly on his basketball career...it didn't mention when/how he met Vanessa, it didn't mention the births of his last three daughters (the timeline omits their births altogether), it glossed over the Mamba Sports Academy and the work he did once he retired...there was so much more to Kobe's life than what is mentioned in these pages and compared to other Who HQ books, this book does not do the subject justice in really getting a complete sense of who he was (which makes sense, since it's half as long as a typical Who HQ book). I felt like a little more effort should've been expended in doing his biography right rather than trying to capitalize on his memory in the months after his death.

Illustrations: They are impressive and realistic looking.

[Eli Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is really short, I finished it in a hour or so. Even though it’s for like 3rd graders, it is still a fun book to read because it’s telling you about Kobe’s career and NBA life. And there is no better way to learn about an athlete than to read a book about them.

[Scotty Seiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I read this book I already knew about a lot of Kobe's accomplishments, and I always admired his competitive nature as a fan. After Kobe Bryant died I wanted to know more about his childhood and his life growing up which all of the Who is/Was books do a great job off.
I learned many interesting facts about Kobe Bryant's childhood as well as his high school days which was the one part of his life I knew nothing about. Also, the book provided very specific and interesting statistical stats about his NBA career.
The NBA today would not be the same without Kobe's impact on the league as he pushed everyone on his team and the people he played to get better. Kobe's competitive nature brought competition into a league which in my opinion lacks competition, as he brought intensity and his "Mamba Mentality" to every single game. If you are at all interested in Kobe's life or NBA career I would definitely recommend that you read this book as it does a great job describing his life.
Rest in peace Kobe.

[Shikhar Jayswal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing of Kobe Bryant before reading this book, and now I regret his loss, like many others in this world.
This book covers his life and his entire basketball career. I learned a considerable amount in such a short span of a book, but the part that hit me hardest was the ending. Last January, not being interested in sports nor celebrities and living under a rock, I completely dismissed the news of the tragic helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant. (I know, how very inhumane of me.) I can now say that Kobe Bryant was an accomplished basketball legend who was born in Philadelphia in 1978, lived in Italy during his childhood for seven years, and more. His family, as well as others' were ripped apart during the crash that fateful day. And now I finally understand why the world had taken his loss so personally.
For basketball fans, and those willing to learn more about Kobe Bryant, this book is a great pickup.

[Gavin Luscombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kobe Bryant... In my opinion, the greatest mentality of all time. Strived to be the best and the best was never good enough for him. This biography goes through the life that Kobe Bryant lived and a life that many wish they could resemble. It shows the readers, mainly targeted towards the younger generation hard work and dedication. Reading this book lit a spark within me and reminded me that nothing is ever accomplished unless you work hard. This book is great for all ages and I 100% recommend to anyone that needs a little motivation, great read!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is write about kOBE BRYANT, KOBE was in PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania at 1978.KOBE was a good basket player, he was go to the NBA in 1996, he was playing in NBA for 20 years for laker, he was have 81 point to the raptor, he have 5 champion in his 20 years and he have 1 MVP and 2 FMVP,He was finish his basketball player in 2016, and he have 60 point in his last basketball game, in 2020.1.26, KOBE was passed away in 2020. I think this book is a good book, because this book is about KOBE BRYANT.

[Librariann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clocking in at only 49 pages, this is a slimmer offering than most books in the Who HQ series. Briefly covers the sexual assault case and settlement, in that it mentions it. I enjoyed how easy it was to read and now know more about Kobe Bryant than I did prior to reading it, so it was a successful biography!

Looking back on the tragic helicopter crash, doesn't January/February 2020 feel like a million years ago? It is notable that the timeline in the back includes coronavirus.

[Luke Port · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10

Being half as short as a regular Who Was book, this book is just.. bad. It doesn’t go into Kobe’s outside life and is really only about his sports life with a few things here and there. Kobe’s wife is literally only mentioned in a few sentences. Also it talks about the sexual assault case which is a bit weird for a book targeted towards 8-year-olds. It doesn’t feel like it is written by anybody else who wrote books in this series.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is book is most about Kobe Bryant's life, such as when was he born and some information about his family.And also who was Kobe Bryant. The beginning of this book is about the most honored's things in his career, in-addition who I have read book, I had known that how great was Kobe Bryant. Finally I very suggest everyone to read this book, to know how great does Kobe Bryant was.

[Brenda Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I choose this rating because the book was excellent. It really captured Kobe's life in a nutshell. He was very special to me, even though I never met. May be rest in peace, along with the others onboard the helicopter.

[Lisa Huninghake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kobe Bryant has always been one of my favorite basketball players. My students will love this new biography about him in the “Who Was. . . “ series. Even now it is still hard to read of his death and all he left behind.

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed that the authors felt that the charge of sexual assault belonged in a kids book. Yes, it is part of his history but given that this book is generally read by 3rd - 5th graders, it should have been left out.

[Elina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book. Kobe Bryant was loved basket ball from a very young age. He was a good player. He always made the ball go into the hoop. One day his damages walked into the gym and saw someone drenched in sweat who had done two rounds who Kobe of course. He was a hardworking man.

[Jen Halupnik]

Nonfiction
Lexile Level: 910L
Grade Level: 3-7

[Jace Gwinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that highlights the amazing life of Kobe Bryant. The illustrations look great and this book is definitely a book that could get kids to do amazing things like Kobe did.

[Victoria Barco]

Kobe Bryants life and basketball
lexile level: 910L
Grade level: 3-7

[Quadir Gant · Rating 5 out of 5]

rip rest in peace to kobe Bryant

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was that they talked about Shaquille O'Neal.

[Sarah Boren]

Read with 6 & 7th graders

[Josh wright]

I really like this book I think that this book is great for people who aren't the best at reading but they still want a book to be able to read.

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book for a kid but towards the end the writing fell off and it wasn’t smooth like the rest of the book. Even my 7yo said ‘that’s it?!’

[Mary Teske]

This story is definitely for at least first grade or older. It tells the story of Kobe Bryant and a couple other NBA players. This would be perfect for kids that are really interested in sports!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sad ending to a very talented young man. This is a good summary of his life.

[Liam White · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis Is A really Great Book Kobe Had A great Life he is awsome

[Freeman Stepan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too simple.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Mark Popovitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series of books. Great, quick introduction to biographies and other non-fiction subjects.

[Shankar B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked when Kobe Bryant was honored for being such a good basketball player.