In this episode of The Victory Degree Podcast, Nik sits down with Mike Sielski - the author of "The Rise, Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality." Mike has been a sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer since 2013 and was formerly a reporter at The Wall Street Journal. Mike was voted the top sports columnist in 2015 by the Associated Press Sports Editors. 

The book explores Kobe's origins, his upbringing in Italy, his time at Lower Merion High School, the influence of Kobe's parents, particularly his father Joe Bryant, and the impact of his experiences on his mindset and self-confidence. The conversation highlights Kobe's dedication to basketball and his relentless pursuit of greatness. Nik and Mike also explore Kobe Bryant's on-court and off-court persona, his search for identity, the impact of skipping steps in his development, his decision to bypass college, the importance of winning the state championship, his desire for a big market team, the draft fiasco and his journey to the Lakers, his dedication to improvement, and the lessons from his life and legacy.

 Please Enjoy! 

TIMESTAMPS 

(00:00) Mike's Relationship With Jake Voracek 

(01:20) Inspiration to Write the Book 

(03:28) Research For the Book 

(05:49) Where is Kobe From?

(08:07) How Kobe Got His Name

(08:41) Joe Bryant: Kobe's Father 

(15:03) Kobe's Maturity and Mindset 

(17:24) Kobe's Time in Italy 

(19:00) Kobe & American Culture 

(20:19) Kobe's Love for Storytelling 

(21:57) Kobe's Lower Merion High School Career 

(28:05) Kobe's Self-Confidence 

(30:33) Kobe's On-Court and Off-Court Persona 

(33:00) Kobe The Intimidator 

(35:13) The Importance of Winning the State Championship

(38:12) Bypassing College 

(40:44) The Draft Fiasco and Kobe's Journey to the Lakers 

(44:25) Do Big Market NBA Teams Have an Advantage? 

(45:21) After the Loss to Utah 

(46:51) Lessons from Kobe's Life and Legacy 

(47:55) Kobe's Regrets 

(49:49) Life Advice 

(53:09) Mike's Favorite Lesson from Kobe 

Connect with Mike: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeSielski 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.sielski/ 

Buy "The Rise": https://shorturl.at/adkry 

Connect with Nik: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic