Kobe Bryant's death in January 2020 did more than rattle the worlds of sports and celebrity; the tragedy unveiled the full breadth and depth of his influence on our culture. Sielski begins on the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and '70s to trace Bryant's career and life. Jeremy Treatman, a Kobe confidant, conducted a series of never-before-released interviews with Bryant not long after his senior season ended-- and shared the transcripts and tapes with Sielski. They reveal Bryant's in-the-moment thoughts and tell stories, preserved for a quarter-century, that have never been told before.

Preface: The signs of things to come -- After the fire -- A safe haven -- God and the Devil in them -- Child of the world -- Angels at sunrise -- Bats and mice and the ride of a lifetime -- Losing -- Swagger -- Se dio vuole -- Ok, let's play -- The pit -- Myth and reality -- Secrets and sharks -- The cancer of me -- Relax, I got this -- The tunnel -- The final game -- The speed at which things change -- Now I'm a Laker -- Open gym -- Afterword: His story, and his voice.