Kobe Bryant co-wrote a child’s book. But it’s been deleted

Kobe Bryant was working on a new book with Brazilian author Paulo Coelho before his untimely death, according to The Associated Press.

Wait, what happened?

• Bryant has been writing plenty of stories under his company Granity Studios for young adult readers. He was reportedly working with Coelho on a new book.
• But Coelho deleted the draft hours after Bryant died, though.
• Coelho told The Associated Press. “I deleted the draft because it didn’t make any sense to publish without him. It wouldn’t add anything relevant to him or his family.”
• Coelho: “That doesn’t stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger-than-life person he was. But the children’s book did not make sense anymore.”

A history for Coelho and Bryant

• The two authors spoke about a new book in 2016 after Bryant retired from the Los Angeles Lakers. He shared a tweet in August 2019 about the collaboration, according to PopCulture.com.
• Coelho honored Bryant on Twitter in the wake of Bryant’s death.

• “You were more than a great player, dear Kobe Bryant. I learned a lot by interacting with you. Will delete the draft right now, this book has lost its reason.”