Kobe Bryant’s Final Project ‘The Wizenard Series: Season One’ Gets Posthumous Release

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Even after his death, Kobe Bryant is sharing his passion for basketball — plus a little bit of magic — with the world in a new way. Bryant’s final creative project, The Wizenard Series: Season One, was released on Tuesday, and immediately hit number one on the Amazon bestsellers chart. The young adult novel was co-authored by the late NBA star, along with Wesley King, who is known for bringing superhuman powers into his teenage narratives.

The latest installment in the series picks back up with the West Bottom Badgers, a struggling basketball team first introduced in the 2019 New York Times best-seller, The Wizenard Series: Training Camp. This time, the focus is on one player: Reggie, a benchwarmer with dreams that are bigger than the sidelines. Reggie isn’t the only one feeling like he’s making little progress — the Badgers seem like they’ll never break free from their losing streak. Even their “mysterious” new coach, Rolabi Wizenard, can’t help them score a win.

“Reggie is willing to train tirelessly to improve his game, but the gym itself seems to be working against him in magical ways,” reads the book’s description. “Before Reggie can become the player he dreams of being, he must survive the extraordinary ordeals of practice.”

The book arrives two months after the death of Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who were among nine people who died after a helicopter crash near Los Angeles in January. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, posted an image of the book to her Instagram Tuesday, encouraging followers to check it out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Z1XnyD4As/

King, meantime, expressed his feelings on Twitter, describing the book’s release as “bittersweet without my collaborator.” King also wrote that he is “grateful to see the words live on.”

The “Wizenard” tale of remaining dedicated to a dream carries on its creator’s legacy. Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers legend and five-time NBA champion was a long-time inspiration for aspiring players on the court. Now, that inspiration lives on the page.

The Wizenard Series: Season One, is available now on hardcover or for your Kindle device. You can also download the audiobook for free with a 30-day free trial to Audible.