After everyone knew this was the last season for the NBA future Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant, he gave NBA fans a first, a poem, to announces his retirement.
His poem goes:
“You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
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 pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”
His poem shows NBA fans that he has given everything he could to the sport. Bryant sits atop of the Lakers record book in career points, steals, field goals made and games played, among others. Overall, Bryant is third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, having passed Michael Jordan just last season. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on Bryant’s retirement saying, “I join Kobe’s millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories.”
He’s played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers, making 17 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA teams and 12 All-Defensive teams. The Lakers won five championships during his career, the first three coming in tandem with Shaq and the second run built around Bryant and Pau Gasol.
It’s safe to say even though this is closing a chapter in the long history of the L.A. Lakers, I’m sure Kobe Bryant has his hands in the future of the team as well.