Facing Kobe Bryant ─ Players, Coaches, and Broadcasters Recall the Greatest Basketball Player of His Generation

When he entered the NBA in 1996 as a high-school star from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant faced enormous expectations. No one can deny that he rose to the challenge. Nineteen years later, Bryant’s status as a Hall of Fame player is assured. During his stellar career, Bryant won five NBA championships; was a seventeen-time All-Star, NBA MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the league in scoring in 2006 and 2007.

Now for the first time, hear stories from opponents, teammates, and players about what it was like to go against Kobe inFacing Kobe Bryant. Contributors include:

Charles Barkley
Grant Hill
Reggie Miller
And many more!

Kobe Bryant was the greatest basketball player of his generationa former schoolboy prodigy whose moves are now imitated in gyms and playgrounds around the world.Facing Kobe Bryant provides an unprecedented glimpse into what it was like to play against one of the best of all time.

Sean Deveney has been with The Sporting News since 1999. Deveney has covered dozens of major championships: the World Series, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, the NCAA Tournament, college football's national championship, and the PGA championship. Deveney also has been honored in The Best American Sports Writing anthology for a story about Pedro Martinez. He has been a regular guest on ESPN2'sFirst Take, ESPN Classic, Comcast Sports Chicago Tribune Live, with appearances on Fox News, CNN, CBS, and MSNBC.