Kobe Bryant and Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho were working together on a children’s book, but the author of “The Alchemist” said he deleted the draft after Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash.
The 72-year-old novelist told The Associated Press today that the two men started discussing the project in 2016, when Bryant retired after a 20-year NBA career.
They began writing a few months ago.
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Within hours of hearing of Bryant’s death, Coelho announced that he would delete the draft, rather than finish the book without the 41-year-old five-time NBA champion.
Coelho’s decision disappointed many of Bryant’s fans, who flooded the writer’s social media channels asking for the draft not to be erased.