Dear Kobe,
You've been playing basketball professionally for just as long as I've been alive. My first actual memories of the game are of your first championship. I know that in the end father time eventually ends all athletes’ careers but I never thought the day would come that Kobe Bean Bryant is no longer putting on a Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Kobe, you managed to last in the league longer than all your peers from the 1996 draft class. 20 years with the Lakers just like you said to Chick Hearn as a teenager. You became a living legend for the team that you rooted for as a kid. Magic Johnson your favorite Laker ever now calls you the greatest player of all-time in the franchise's history. For 20 years you've been the franchises backbone a three-peat with Shaq and even some down years before rising back to the finals again three straight times winning back-to-back Championships from 2009-2010.
Kobe, you let it be known that you wanted to be great. You came into the NBA wanting to be Micheal Jordan and you became Kobe Bryant. And that’s perfectly fine because we all know there will never be another Kobe just like there will never be another Jordan. You’re the closest thing the NBA has seen to Jordan you emulated his game and made it your own. From the fade away to the signature celebrations. A whole generation wanted to be you on the court in the same that the generation before wanted to be Jordan.
Every night you left everything that you had in your body on the court. Defenses only hope was to contain you because they knew they couldn't stop you. The only thing that slowed you down was injuries and you fought back from every one of those. An Achilles tear which usually leaves athletes laying there didn’t even put you down. You stood tall knocked down two free throws and walked off the court with no help.
It’s still unreal to me that the Black Mambas career is over. Thank you Black Mamba for giving your life to the game. Fans either hate you or love but at the end of the day, we all respect you. Thank you for being great as number 8 and great as number 24.Thank you for all of your highlight plays like knocking down game-winners and dunking on defenders. Lastly thank you for not caring peoples opinions of you and being you Kobe Bean Bryant.
A fan that loved the way you played the game,
Harry Howard Jr
