In a self-published letter to the game of basketball sent to The Players’ Tribune, Kobe Bryant announced his retirement after the NBA season. In his letter, Bryant explains his early childhood memories of growing up with the sport of basketball. “As a six-year-old boy/ Deeply in love with you / I never saw the end of the tunnel; I only saw myself / Running out of one,” Bryant said. Bryant also said how the sport always gave back to him as much as he gave to the sport. “I played through the sweat and hurt / Not because challenge called me / But because YOU called me / I did everything for YOU / Because that’s what you do / When someone makes you feel as / Alive as you’ve made me feel,” Bryant said.
Bryant played for twenty seasons in the NBA all with the Los Angeles Lakers which is the longest a player has played with a single team in their career. Bryant won 5 championships with the Lakers in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010. However, Bryant’s legacy is not defined by his individual accomplishments but by his ego that he brought to court for every game. His competiveness was bigger than any other player he faced during his career. Bryant became a clutch player as he helped give the Lakers making 36 career game winning shots. There have been many comparisons to the legendary Michael Jordan when Bryant was a rising superstar during Jordan’s final days with the Washington Wizards. Jordan was the face of the NBA in the 90’s but Bryant became the face of the NBA in the 21st century. Fans forget that Bryant was drafted 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, but then was traded to the Lakers shortly after. It was a huge bargain for the Lakers and a missed opportunity for the Hornets that night. Whether wearing #8 or #24 with the Lakers or #10 for the United States National Team, Bryant was the face of basketball in the 2000s. Every generation has a face of their sport. In basketball, our grandparents had Bill Russell, our parents had Michael Jordan, and we have Kobe Bryant. He will most certainly go out a hero but will be remembered as one of the greatest that hit the hardwood.