Dear Kobe,
First of all, congratulations on a legendary career in the game of basketball. You are truly one of the best to ever play in the NBA, and you deserve your number to be in the rafters with other Laker greats in the Los Angeles Staples Center. Secondly, I admire you solely on your "never say die" attitude for the Lakers. Through the worst of times, you wore and owned up to the Laker purple and gold. I respect you for that.
Kobe (assuming you ever read this), I will say I am not a Laker fan straight up. Personally, I am from North Carolina, and I am biased since I am a Charlotte Hornets fan (we're going to the playoffs!). However, I admire you for your leadership and loyalty to your team. Five NBA Finals rings cannot deny your greatness.
Any athlete should be in awe of your legend. Not only in basketball, but in the realm of sports as a whole, the nickname "The Black Mamba" resonates throughout American sports as one of the deadliest competitors of all time. The Black Mamba is also a great nickname, to be honest. That's another reason I admire you.
But more so this; win, lose or draw, I know Kobe Bryant will never give up. Whether it is the game of basketball, a game of ping-pong or a game of chess, Kobe Bean Bryant will never quit.
Kobe, you are a true inspiration to athletes everywhere. I, personally, am a rugby player, but have kept up with your career for the last period of it. A 60-point game is just icing on the cake for what will surely be a trip to the hall for you. Congratulations.
A couple of stats for people who don't know of the illustrious career that is Kobe Bryant:
-Five NBA Final wins
-Two Finals MVPs
-18-time All-Star
-One-time NBA MVP
-Los Angeles Lakers all-time leading scorer
-Let us Americans also not forget that Kobe Bryant has gone and represented the United States in the Olympic Games, to go along with a couple of gold medals.
Wow.
Your name, Kobe, will go synonymously with Laker greats like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West. Your dedication to the Lakers and the game of basketball as a whole are nothing short of miraculous.
Also, how many people, at the age of 37, go out in their last game with a 60 point scoring night to cap off a win? I guess the same person who has scored the most in a game since Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game; 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. I realize that some people say you don't pass the ball enough, but let's be honest — if you're shooting that well in a game, who would pass the ball? Right?
Kobe, I lastly thank you for allowing me to believe in the rags to riches story. A kid from Philadelphia should never be one of the best basketball players ever in the pros. But it happens, am I right?
So Kobe, again, congratulations on an amazing career. Whether or not you decide to come back to the game of basketball is undetermined at this point, but your contributions to the game as a player cannot be matched by anyone else. You truly brought in a new era of athlete. On behalf of the NBA world and the sports world as a whole, thank you.
Sincerely,
Drew Weston
