Books tend to be everywhere. One may use a random book at any given time, in any given place, written by any given author. In the sports world there are many influential books penned by athletic authors who have made a significant impact in their field throughout their career. However, is it always a good idea for sports icons to write books or auto-biographies after retirement, or even during their career? Let’s digest this idea downfield a bit and see if we can’t score an answer.
Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time, as the hall of fame seems to prove. While playing basketball, Kobe zeroed in on the game and payed attention to nothing else. Kobe studied his opponents and played against them based on what he noticed about their game. This earned him the title of “mamba” (referencing the African Black Mamba, a snake that, once threatened, strikes at lightning speed and can deliver multiple bites in an instant). Mamba Mentality: How I Play, is a book written by Kobe Bryant. Goodreads summarizes Mamba Mentality and says, “Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries.” At first glance, Kobe’s book seems like an enticing read, useful for basketball players and for the average reader looking for some inspiration, but when you open up Mamba Mentality you may notice big photographs take up most of the space. Kirkus Review writes that, “The book will appeal to die-hard basketball fans intrigued by one of the game’s brightest minds, but the structure is somewhat haphazard and may lose general readers. The real stars here are the stunning photographs..." Although his book was mostly filled with pictures, sketches, and short phrases, Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality has influenced the sports world colossally, whether it was his book or his legendary skills. Yes, it was a good idea for Kobe to write his book, especially because he was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on January 6, 2020. His book was released one month later, post-mortem. With his tips and tricks embedded in the pages of his book, Kobe’s skills can be studied by basketball players for years to come. Even so, though writing was a good idea, there have been a few negative aspects of his book. The acknowledgement that everyday readers have a more difficult time trying to enjoy Mamba Mentality is because it focused more on Kobe’s basketball career (as the title implies) than his earlier life that led him to become a hall-of-famer.
Like Kobe, Tim Tebow was an outstanding athlete, a quarterback for the Florida Gators, who won the Heisman trophy and was a first-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Being a Christian, Tim Tebow was a prime example of a Godly athlete, and he made the Christian community proud. After what seemed like a successful start in the NFL, Tebow was traded around between teams and couldn’t stick to the quarterback position, leading him to eventually leave the National Football League altogether. Through it all, Tim Tebow remained firm in his faith and, with the help of A. J. Gregory, he wrote a book entitled Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms, where he recounts his disappointing career through the lens of Christ’s calling. In a book review written by publishersweekly.com an unknown author states, “All readers will be won over by Tebow’s dedication and perseverance and admire him for staying true to service-oriented Christianity through quite an unconventional life.” Tim Tebow divulged his readers and allowed them to peer into more than just his athletic career, he let them read about his life, his thoughts, and his emotions while he was struggling with finding a place in the professional football world. When an author writes in first person, as Tebow did, they draw the reader into their mind and make them feel as if they are a part of their life, which is very important for engaging an audience. While Mamba Mentality was said to be mostly a picture book, Shaken appears to be much more of an enthralling, inspirational story. So again, yes, it was a good idea for Tim Tebow to write a book because he has inspired millions of people, both sports fans and individuals who could care less about sports, to remain steadfast in the trials they face, knowing that “God’s got it.”
We have seen two examples of why books are important in the sports world. Not only do they inspire avid fans, but they also inspire the world as a whole, when written to be for more than just sports.
Tim Tebow, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms, WaterBrook: Colorado Springs, October 25, 2016, 139
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