Dear Basketball,
From the momentI started rolling my dad’s tube
And shooting
Game-winning
In the Great Western ForumI knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all —From my mind &
To my spirit & soul.
As a six-year-old
Deeply in love with youI never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw
Running out of one.
And so I ran.
I ran up and down every
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustleI gave you my
Because it came with so much more.
I played through the sweat and
Not because challenge called
But because
OU called me.
I did everything for
Because that’s what you
When someone makes you feel
Alive as you’ve made me feel.
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the
My mind can handle the
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.
And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each
All that we have.
And we both know, no matter what I do nextI’ll always be that
With the rolled up
Garbage can in the corner:05 seconds on the
Ball in my hands.5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1
Love you always,
Kobe
