Paulo Coelho deletes draft of children’s book collab with Kobe Bryant

Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho and the late Kobe Bryant were working together to write a children’s book prior to the latter’s death. However, “The Alchemist” author said that he deleted the book’s draft after learning about Bryant’s sudden demise in a helicopter crash.

The 72-year-old author revealed that they had partnered up for the project back in 2016 in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday. Discussions began that year after Bryan retired from his two-decade-long career in Basketball. The pair only started on the collaborative effort a few months ago.

Shortly upon finding out about Bryant’s shocking death on Sunday, Coelho took to Twitter to announce that he would delete the draft rather than continue the project with the NBA legend.

“I deleted the draft because it didn’t make any sense to publish without him,” Coelho said in a phone interview on Monday, as per CTV News. “It wouldn’t add anything relevant to him or his family.”

“That doesn’t stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger than life person he was,” Coelho added. “But the children’s book did not make sense anymore.”

Bryant’s fans were disheartened by the decision, with some arguing that their idol would’ve wanted it to be published even in his death. Many pleaded to the author not to erase the draft.

“Kobe was always very concerned about making a book that was a positive example for children, especially those coming from humble beginnings,” Coelho said about what the book was about.