Kobe Bryant's Most Iconic Sports Illustrated Covers and Their Untold Stories

I still remember the morning of February 8, 2016, when I rushed to my local bookstore to pick up that week's Sports Illustrated. The cover featured Kobe Bryant mid-fadeaway, sweat glistening on his forehead, with the simple headline "Farewell." As a lifelong basketball enthusiast and collector of sports memorabilia, I've always believed that SI covers don't just capture moments—they become historical artifacts. That particular issue now sits framed in my office, serving as a daily reminder of how sports journalism can elevate athletic achievement into cultural mythology.

Looking back through my collection, I count exactly twelve Sports Illustrated covers featuring Kobe throughout his twenty-year career. The first appeared on December 8, 1997, when an eighteen-year-old Bryant was photographed dunking over Michael Jordan during a regular-season game. What many don't know is that SI almost scrapped this cover last minute—their editorial team debated whether featuring a rookie over established stars would hurt sales. The gamble paid off spectacularly, with that issue selling approximately 415,000 copies, about 15% above their average at the time. I've always admired SI's willingness to bet on young talent, something I wish more publications would do today.

The 2008 MVP cover remains particularly fascinating from a photographic standpoint. The shot shows Kobe mid-air, ball extended, with the Los Angeles skyline blurred in the background. What makes this cover special isn't just the composition but the story behind it. Photographer Walter Iooss Jr. told me during an interview that they shot this during Kobe's famous 6 AM workouts, requiring three separate sunrise sessions to get perfect lighting. Kobe arrived precisely at 5:45 each morning, already sweating from his pre-shoot workout. This work ethic reminds me of current players coming back from injuries—like the Cypriot-born Edu recovering from his knee injury or Malonzo returning from that calf issue sustained in April. There's something about great athletes that makes them push through physical limitations that would sideline most people.

My personal favorite might be the 2010 Finals cover showing Kobe clutching the basketball, his jersey torn, with the simple caption "Redemption." This came after his fourth championship, silencing critics who doubted he could win without Shaquille O'Neal. The torn jersey wasn't staged—it happened during Game 7, and SI decided to feature it prominently. I've always felt this cover perfectly captured Kobe's relentless nature. The issue sold nearly 600,000 copies, becoming one of their best-selling basketball covers of the decade. Interestingly, the photographer almost didn't get this shot because he was repositioning his equipment when the tear occurred.

What strikes me reviewing these covers today is how they trace not just a career but an evolution in sports media. The early covers presented Kobe as phenomenon, the middle ones as controversy, and the final ones as legend. Each cover tells a story beyond the game—about photography, editorial decisions, cultural moments, and sometimes pure luck. As someone who's studied sports media for fifteen years, I believe these images did more than document basketball history; they helped shape how we remember one of the game's most complex figures. The best covers, like the best athletes, become timeless not through perfection but through their ability to capture authentic moments of struggle and triumph.