Book Review - Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant
Author: Roland Lazenby
Category: Biography, Core Wounds, Physical Performance
Quiver Score: 4.25/5
There is something deeply inspirational about a person committed wholeheartedly to living on ‘purpose’ – with a clear sense of and an insatiable hunger to fulfill mission. This is a core reason why I like to read about and interview athletes. Certainly few athletes possess the unwavering level of dedication that Kobe Bryant did.
In the book Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant, author Roland Lazenby meticulously shares the journey of Kobe Bryant, from ancestral influences up through his final game in the NBA. He is a clear fan of Kobe’s inarguable work ethic, but he allows readers to reinforce their love or hate for Kobe over the book’s 600+ pages. I am writing this review not because of any particular feelings I felt for Kobe while he was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but instead because he was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. To be the best at anything, someone must be obstinately devoted to their craft, and Kobe was certainly that.
From the womb Kobe was exposed to basketball. His father, Joe Bryant, was a gifted player in Philadelphia, playing in the NBA for the Sixers and then for many years in Italy. Kobe and his family followed Joe wherever the game took him, and young Kobe took every opportunity to be in the midst of the action, from toweling sweat off the floor during games to stealing the court during halftime to practice his shots and moves, even while a large crowd looked on.
Kobe would learn several European languages and would always have a special bond with his father rooted in the Italian language. He would also be greatly influenced by Italian culture, which arguably contributed to the ‘outsider’ mystique that would always surround him once he returned to his childhood home of Philadelphia for high school.
In Philly, as a teen, he would rise to prominence in every basketball league and pick-up game in which he participated. Soon he was afforded opportunities to play one-on-one with some of the greatest players of the game. And no matter who he faced, Kobe always did so with an inexplicable confidence – a knowing that he would rise to any opponent, any occasion.
If you decide to read Showboat, it is probably because you know enough about Kobe’s life to be intrigued. He is, after all, one of the most famous, and in some cases infamous, athletes ever, in any sport. With his recent and tragic death, the intrigue around the depth and dominance of Kobe continues to grow. Around the world, his death, and that of his daughter, left millions grieving. It also brought others to chastise those who did the grieving – arguing he was not worth it – as the collective perspective of Kobe was and continues to be deeply polarizing.
This leads me back to what typically attracts me to icons: their unerring devotion to mission that is often dismissive of whatever may be left in their wake. If you struggle finding clarity of your mission, or being devoted to it, consider reading Showboat and learning how the determination of one man shook the world and still trembles it even after his death.
