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MCD/FSG is thrilled to announce that we will be publishing The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, the first nonfiction book from the basketball superstar Kobe Bryant since his 2016 retirement—a lavish, deep dive inside the mind of one of the most revered athletes of all time.
In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba Mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to approach it, The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players of all time.
Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the official photographer for the Lakers and the NBA, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a singular twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer.
For the first time, and in his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.
The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality a unique look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.
- THE MAMBA MENTALITY: HOW I PLAY BY KOBE BRYANT
- PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN
- INTRODUCTION BY PHIL JACKSON
- FOREWORD BY PAU GASOL
Kobe Bryant is one of the most accomplished and celebrated athletes of all time. Over the course of his twenty-year career—all played with the Los Angeles Lakers—he won five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, eighteen All-Star selections, and four All-Star Game MVP awards, among many other achievements. Bryant retired in 2016. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters. He still claims he’s never been beaten one-on-one.
Andrew D. Bernstein’s photography has appeared in thousands of newspapers and on magazine covers worldwide. Bernstein is the long-time official photographer for the Los Angeles Lakers and the senior photographer for the NBA. He is the 2018 recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He regularly appears on ESPN’s SportsCenter and other national television and radio programs.
- The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant will be published in hardcover by MCD x FSG.
- October 23, 2018 / 978-0-374-20123-4 / $35.00 US / $45.50 Can
- Includes over 200 color photographs by Andrew D. Bernstein
- Introduction by Phil Jackson / Foreword by Pau Gasol
- Produced by Melcher Media
- For more information, please contact Sarita Varma, Vice President / Director of Publicity, Sarita.Varma@fsgbooks.com, or 212-206-5327.
