Howard Beck

"Howard, do you need me today?" The voice came from behind me, but I knew who was asking before I turned my head. Kobe Bryant was striding across the gym at L.A. Southwest College, heading toward the exit. Practice was over, players were slowly…

KOBE BRYANT SWEARS HE SAW IT—Michael Jordan's ghost, not two months ago, right there on the floor of Madison Square Garden. It took the form of DeMar DeRozan, working his mid-range magic against the Knicks. That fadeaway jumper from the elbow. The…

LOS ANGELES — I came to say goodbye to a legend. Kobe Bryant refused. It was too soon, by three weeks. And Kobe Bryant, as you might know, does everything on his own terms. Even goodbyes. It was March 22, Game 70 of the Mamba Farewell Tour. The…

NEW YORK — The farewell came Sunday at 5:59 p.m ET, with hugs and smiles, a stirring ovation and one final wave—an NBA legend and a legendary arena sharing a last embrace. Kobe Bryant raised his left palm to meet the gentle cheers, then disappeared…

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images The puppets are still prattling away, carrying on like a modern-day, foam-and-wires odd couple. The presumptuously named Great Debate is still thriving, too. The rivalry between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has never been…

The agenda was telegraphed in Kobe Bryant’s eyes, which were fixed in a cold stare Monday night, and in a taut expression that varied between hyper-serious and hyper-focused. There were no mischievous grins, the sort that Bryant often flashes between…