Summary

In a short Prologue, Kobe describes the pleasure he felt when he first held a basketball, and how he soon realized he was meant to play, and play well. He also describes how particularly significant the regular, reliable sound of the ball bouncing was, commenting that it was “the sound of life and light” (8). He goes on to explain that his initial sense of connection to both the feel and the sound of the ball were the main reasons why he worked as hard as he did throughout his life and to improve his game, why he “dug as deep as [he] dug” (8). Across from the text is a photograph of a young Kobe, leaning against one side of a doorframe, in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, holding a basketball.

The Forward is written by Kobe’s teammate Pau Gasol. In it, Gasol...