A 20-year story that has been built with memories – the good and the bad – has finally come to an end. The last chapter of this story ended Wednesday on “Mamba Day” at Staples Center as Laker great Kobe Bryant waved goodbye to the sold out crowd and concluded with the words, “Mamba out.” He walked off that court one last time with a towel around his shoulders and it was no surprise everyone was on their feet and there was not a dry eye in the house.
It was just a matter of time before the 37-year-old future Hall-of-Famer called it quits, giving into his battle with Father Time.
Kobe, the first player in NBA history to play 20 seasons with one team, announced his retirement early in the season with a letter titled “Dear Basketball” in The Players’ Tribune.
In the letter, Kobe tells basketball about how it gave a 6-year-old boy his Laker dream and a love so deep that he gave it his all. He says, “You asked for my hustle, I gave you my heart because it came with so much more.” He played through the sweat and hurt and did everything, but says this season was all he had 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.” And he says it is OK because he is ready to let it go.
At first I really didn’t know how to react. I even shed a tear as I read the letter. However, I was also happy he would be taking care of himself after all that he’s done.
And on Wednesday night it was time for Kobe to finally hang it up, even though we do not want to see him leave.
My childhood was filled with memories of watching Kobe play. As a little girl growing up in a house full of sports lovers, especially Laker fans, I felt my team was the best of them all. I watched him win three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with the number 8 on his back. Then I watched him win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 with the number 24. By then, I understood the game and loved it even more.
I went to five games in 2013 and was disappointed that I could not see Kobe play due to injuries. I was determined to finally see him and when that day came on opening day of the 2014 season, I was ready. I arrived at the Staples Center three hours early in excitement. Sitting right behind the Lakers’ bench was an amazing feeling. Finally seeing Kobe in person was magical.
He has made an impact on my life in a way no other player has ever done. Watching him play brought me and my family closer together. His drive and passion to do something he loved was inspirational, which inspired me to get into the sports world and become a sports journalist, so I thank him for that.
Despite seeing him and the Lakers lose more games than they won in the last three seasons, it was a pleasure to see him break records and put up unbelievable statistics.
He dropped 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second highest single game total ever. With a pair of free throws in the second quarter of a 2014 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he passed Michael Jordan for third place on the all-time scoring list.
Kobe is a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 18-time All Star selection, four-time All Star Game MVP and the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer.
At his last game Wednesday he definitely went out with a bang, giving the sold-out crowd a stunning 60-point performance.
Despite not ending his final season with a sixth NBA championship ring or a playoff run, he ended it in a way no other player ever could or ring could replace.
He started the game 0-for-5 but then found his momentum. He became the fifth player in NBA history to score at least 40 points at age 37-plus. It was his sixth career 60-point game and his best single game performance since 2009.
He finished his career with 33,643 points, behind only Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.
I watched him play his last game ever and then exit through the tunnels one last time. I could not hold back my tears as I watched the legendary player I grew up with say goodbye. It still hasn’t hit me yet that he will no longer be on that court posting up fade away jumpers, pick-and-rolls or mid-range pull-ups with his mamba face.
Through all the injuries and pain, even after tearing his Achilles tendon and his torn rotator cuff, Kobe came back to give us his all and fight through it, the toughest athlete out there.
As the Lakers’ season comes to a sad end with a franchise-worst 17-65 record, it’s time to face an uncertain future without Kobe.
It has not been announced when Kobe’s number will be retired – or even which one – but it will soon join the retired numbers of the other Laker greats hanging on a banner in the Staples Center and that ceremony will be magical and the final chapter will be done.
Whether people like him or not, he is still one of the most known and respected players, not just in the NBA, but in the sports world, and that will never change. It has been an unbelievable journey and the words “thank you” cannot be said enough.
Dear Kobe Bryant, you will be missed and we all thank you for what you have done for basketball and the entire sports world.
Thank you for helping me love basketball even more and helping me find my passion in sports writing.
When the next Lakers season starts, the Staples Center will be filled with fans wearing Kobe jerseys, and I will be one of them.
The game is over, but the legacy lives on and always will because it will definitely be hard to forget. #thankyouKobe
Jolene Nacapuy, a senior journalism major, is sports editor for the Campus Times. She can be reached by email at jolene.nacapuy@laverne.edu and on Twitter @jolenenacapuy.
