Navdeep Sandhu

Following Kobe Bryant's career from the UK, i purchased this book in order to "fill in the gaps", with regards to his life and career with the LA Lakers. Over in the UK, during Bryant's peak years we were limited to 2 games per week on tv, mostly hidden behind a paywall. This book provides a thorough revisiting of Joe Bryant's time in the NBA, background to the family, their tenure in Italy. It details Bryant's time at High School in Philadelphia, how he was seen as an "outsider" due to his upbringing in Italy. It goes on to explore Bryant's early years with the LA Lakers, his strained relationship with O'Neal and Phil Jackson, the internal war inside the Lakers between West and Jackson. There are a lot of topics covered, that i wasnt privy to. I found it absorbing reading. Reasons are given as to why Bryant distanced himself from his immediate family, how Jackson left and returned within a year. The only criticism i have is that i wanted to read more with regards to the controversial games i had heard about in the UK, like game 6 vs Sacramento in the 2002 playoffs. The controversial refereeing isnt mentioned, but anybody can google Michael Wilson's response to that game. Also, i remember watching live how Bryant scored and helped the Lakers beat the Suns in Game 4 of the 2006 playoffs, that was an amazing game which i saw live on tv. Yet that is barely mentioned. Game 4 of the 2008 playoffs vs San Antonio, where the Lakers led all game but just about got the win as the referees didnt penalise Fisher for a foul at the end, that is not mentioned. Overall, this is a worthwhile read for anybody looking to educate themselves on one of the biggest sporting icons in the world over the last 20 years.