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the-pupillary-sphincter-blog · 7 years

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A Letter to the GOAT

Dear Kobe,

From the moment you were drafted 13th over-all by the Charlotte Hornets and got the traded to the Lakers back in 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, never did anyone know that one thing was real. That this kid, out of of Lower Merion HS will be one of the greatest to ever play the game. That you will be the closest thing next to Michael Jordan. That a legend will be made out of you. Though I haven't witnessed the early years of your career, I truly got amazed and got crazy of the things you did, and to tell you, I am overly obsessed with it. As a young kid, I was a Laker boy and idolized no other player except you. Apparently, I will not end up as a professional basketball player, but I so damn wanted to be like you. I wanted just to be exactly like you. And time really flies fast. It's so fast I can't believe your game is over. You ended your career today and left your mark, but I'm glad to see you ended it with glory and the way we wanted it to be. It's hard to say goodbye to an exceptional player like you but I know this is that you can give, and I just want to say thank you.

Thank you, Kobe. For spending years of your life with the game you fell in love with. For giving all that has in you: from your mind and body, to your heart and soul. For doing all your best not just for your self, the team, the franchise and the league, but also for us, die-hard fans of yours. For sharing with us your skills and talents, and giving the whole Laker Nation something that will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Kobe. For giving us such extraordinary hype every time you take the floor. For doing your usual thing on a nightly basis. For giving us unfathomable joy every time you break every other team's hearts. For making us stand on our feet and making our lungs feel raging and burning. For letting us watch you in 48 minutes of action and making us bleed purple and gold. For playing every second and every minute of the game like no one ever did.

Thank you, Kobe. For being the Black Mamba we've known for two decades. For hitting shots after shots, daggers after daggers, and of course, who would've forgot your fade-away jumpers. For splitting through every defense and getting those fancy lay-ups and circus shots. For shaking and baking until you break someone's ankles and take a shot over their faces. For posterizing and throwing vicious dunks over your defenders and burying them alive. For beating the buzzers and hitting game-winning shots giving every Laker fan a time to be alive as we celebrate the hard-fought W. For playing the game with perseverance, passion, and professionalism.

Thank you, Kobe. For adding five titles to one of the greatest franchise in the history of NBA, and getting two Finals MVP from it. For being the regular season's MVP twice. For being the league's leading scorer four times. For being selected as an All-Star on eighteen occasions, and winning MVP awards on four of them. For being selected fifteen times to All-NBA Team and twelve times to All-Defensive Team. For being ranked as the third all-time regular and post-season leader on scoring lists. Ultimately, for dropping a career-high 81 points (yes it's not a typo, everyone else knows that), second most by a single player next to the great Chamberlain, against the Raptors in 2006. For giving us an amazing 20 years of basketball immortality.

Thank you, Kobe. For doing it until the last dance. For giving us a momentous game today against the Jazz. For fighting up until the ended even though how bad you've started. For staying in the court more than the minutes you would've. For never missing a field goal and free throw in the last three minutes of the game. For being brave enough to take the clutch shot (well you always do) en route to your very last win. For dropping 60 points (god) at the age of 37 and through the grind and sweat. For still having the ice cold purple and gold blood in your veins. For still striking your opponents with the Black Mamba's venomous fangs. For rocking the whole Staples Center, as well as the fans all over the world. For giving us your final ride a game that will be forever in our hearts.

Thank you, Kobe. For being Kobe Bryant. And now that your era has come to an end, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything you did on and off the court, and how it touched my heart. How you showed me the value of hard work and passion as a fuel to success. How you showed me to take everything as an opportunity to rise and that everything starts with a dream. How you fought through the ups and downs and still stand and take the ball to the rim. Now I can say, you're not our Michael Jordan, you are our Kobe Bryant. And I will always love you for it. It's time to part ways with you, Kobe, and we will surely miss you. I cannot imagine the NBA without you, it's just different. It'll just never be the same starting next season. But that's OK. The game is ready to let you go. And no matter what you do next, you'll always be the Black Mamba, in your #24 purple and gold jersey, dribbling the ball, posting on your defender, and taking the turnaround fade-away shot... splash.

Love you always, Laker boy

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