Dear Basketball,
From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all—
From my mind& body
To my spirit& soul.
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.
And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.
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.
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
And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have.
And we both know,
no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5…4…3…2…1
Love you always,
Kobe
 
親愛的籃球：
從首次穿上父親的籃球襪起，我便開始想像自己在論壇球場（Great Western Forum、前湖人主場）投入致勝球。我知道有一件事是真的：我已經愛上你。
這種愛深厚得令我願意為你付上一切，從我的心到身，以至精神及靈魂。
作為一個六歲的小孩、一個愛上打籃球的小孩，我從未看到這條路的終點，只看到自己不斷努力奔跑。
於是我一直跑，在每個球場上跑，每次丟了球，你就要我拼命把你搶回來。我把自己的心交給你，因為你總會給我更多回報。
我流着汗、背負傷患參加每一場比賽，並非因為我希望接受挑戰，而是你在呼喚我。我做的一切都是為了你，因為你令我感到自己的心仍在跳動。
你為一個六歲小孩帶來他的湖人夢，我永遠都會因此深愛着你，但我再無法着了魔似的愛你。這個賽季是我最後能送給你的；心仍能承受衝擊，意志仍可再受考驗，但身體卻知道是時候跟你說再見了。
沒事的！我已經準備好讓你離開。我只希望你現在知道，好讓我們可以好好享受剩餘的時光；好壞與共，皆因我們早已為對方付出一切。
我們都知道，無論將來我過得如何，我仍是那個深愛着你的小孩。我穿着那雙過長的籃球襪，垃圾箱就在角落，計時器尚餘五秒，球在我的手中。
5…4…3…2…1
永遠愛你的Kobe