In The Rise, readers will travel from the cracked concrete basketball courts of Philadelphia in the 1960s and 70s – where Kobe`s father played – to the majesty and isolation of Europe, where Kobe spent his formative years, to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe`s legend was born. The story culminates with him leading Lower Merion to the 1995 – 96 Pennsylvania state championship – a true underdog run for a team with just one star player, Kobe – and with the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe`s dream of playing pro basketball culminated with his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers.