The End of an Era: Kobe Bryant Retirement
December 17, 2015
He’s ready to let go.
NBA superstar and shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant announced his retirement on Sunday, November 29th. The Player’s Tribune posted a letter by Bryant titled “Dear Basketball” in which Bryant writes about his journey and how he’s ready to end it. The following is the beginning of his heartfelt poem:
“Dear Basketball,
From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you. “
Coming straight from his Philadelphia high school, Kobe Bean Bryant was drafted to the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft but was traded to the Lakers before the beginning of the official season. He became the youngest player to start in the All-Star Game at just the age of 19. Altogether, he is a 17-time All-Star. Bryant teamed up with fellow star, Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal to win three consecutive NBA championships in 2000-2002
Even after winning multiple championships, Kobe still continued to perform brilliantly. In January 2006 at a game against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant scored 81 points, the second-most points ever in a single game. He continued to win two more championships against the Orlando Magic in 2009 and the Boston Celtics in 2010. Bryant has won one MVP and two Finals MVP’s. He signed a two-year extension contract with the Lakers on November 25, 2013.
These last few seasons have been harsh on Kobe’s body, especially his legs. In April 2013, Kobe tore his Achilles tendon which caused him to be out for the rest of the season. After going through a surgery and 8 months of rehabilitation, he returned on December 8, 2013. On December 17, after only 5 games of his return, he suffered from a knee fracture and missed the rest of the 13-14 seasons.
Even with the return of the “Black Mamba” once again, the 2014-2015 was the worst season in the franchise. The Lakers didn’t make the playoffs.
Throughout his career, Bryant has been compared to legends like Michael Jordan. in response to this he said, ““To be mentioned in the same breath as those players, honestly, to me is — I mean, that’s everything. I mean, we’ll sit and debate endlessly who was better, who would win in a one-on-one matchup between myself and M.J. And you can debate that till the cows come home.”
Kobe Bryant is looking forward to being with his family of two daughters, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant and Natalia Diamante Bryant and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and that they’re “looking forward to the next chapter.”
Bryant commented on an interview with ABC News, “You know, going through my entire career, I’ve never really understood what athletes meant when they said, ‘You—when you know you know.’ But now I certainly understand it.”
Though Lakers’ fans are sad to see Kobe Bryant retire, they have remained supportive of his decision. Let’s see what the “Black Mamba”’s jouney takes him next.
You can see the rest of Kobe’s letter on this link: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/dear-basketball/
Sources:
http://www.biography.com/people/kobe-bryant-10683945#nba-career
