Dear Basketball

Kobe Bryant

Dear Basketball,

From the moment

I started rolling my dad’s tube socks

And shooting imaginary

Game-winning shots

In the Great Western Forum¹

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 hustle²

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 obsessively³ for much longer.

This season is all I have left to give.

My heart can take the pounding

My mind can handle the grind⁴

But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.

I’m ready to let you go.

I want you to know now

So we both can savor⁵ 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

亲爱的篮球：

小时候

我穿上父亲的短筒袜

想象着

在大西部论坛球馆

射中一个个制胜球

从那时起我就深信不疑：

我已深深爱上你。

这份爱是那样深沉

我已为你付出所有——

从心和身到灵与魂。

六岁时

我爱你是那么深

我从未想象隧道尽头的样子。

我只想象自己

奔跑着冲出隧道。

于是我开始奔跑。

我奔跑在每一个篮球场

为你争夺每一个控制球的机会。

你要我去拼搏

我就奉献出全部的心身

因为它需要的不仅仅是拼搏。

我在汗水与痛苦中拼搏

不是因为挑战在召唤

而是因为你在召唤我。

我做的一切都为了你

因为你对我也是如此

人们给了你活力，你也

让我觉得自己拥有鲜活的生命。

你圆了一个六岁男孩的湖人梦

为此我将永远爱你。

但这份痴情的爱却难以为继。

我所能给你的只剩下这个赛季。

我的心脏依旧能承受剧烈的跳动

我的意志依旧能应对痛苦的磨练

但我的身体却明白：该说再见了。

没关系。

我已准备好说再见。

我现在告诉你，只是为了

我们都能珍惜剩下的分分秒秒。

无论欢喜，无论悲忧。

我们都为彼此

奉献了自己的所有。

我们都知道，无论我之后做什么

我都将永远是那个

卷着袜筒的孩子

手里捧着篮球

瞄准角落里的垃圾桶

假装时间还剩5秒：

5……4……3……2……1

永远爱你的，

科比