Dear Basketball,

亲爱的篮球，

From the moment

从小时候

I started rolling my dad’s tube socks

我穿着老爸的直筒袜

And shooting imaginary

假装着

Game-winning shots

我在大西部论坛球馆

In the Great Western Forum¹

投中制胜球的样子

I knew one thing was real:

我就清楚知道一件事情：

I fell in love with you.

我爱上你了。

A love so deep I gave you my all —

我爱你如此之深，已奉献我的所有

From my mind & body

从我的思想到我的身体

To my spirit & soul.

从我的精神到我的灵魂

As a six-year-old boy

六岁的我

Deeply in love with you

深深的爱着你

I never saw the end of the tunnel.

我从没想过这段旅程结束时的样子

I only saw myself

我只看到我自己

Running out of one.

在这条路上奔跑

And so I ran.

所以我不停的跑

I ran up and down every court

每场比赛我都不停奔跑

After every loose ball for you.

为争取每一次得到你的机会

You asked for my hustle²

你需要我拼尽全力

I gave you my heart

我为你奉上了我的心

Because it came with so much more.

因为这需要的不仅仅是尽力。

I played through the sweat and hurt

我为打球流尽血汗、带着一身伤病

Not because challenge called me

不是因为困难在挑战我

But because YOU called me.

而是因为你在呼唤我

I did everything for YOU

我已经为你做了一切

Because that’s what you do

因为你也是这样对待我

When someone makes you feel as

因为你让我感觉

Alive as you’ve made me feel.

我自己是一个鲜活的人

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream

你让一个6岁的孩子实现了他的湖人梦

And I’ll always love you for it.

为此我将永远爱你。

But I can’t love you obsessively³ for much longer.

但是我不能再如此迷恋你了

This season is all I have left to give.

这个赛季是我所能给的仅有的

My heart can take the pounding

我的心还能继续承受各种打击

My mind can handle the grind⁴

我的意志也还能继续坚持下去

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

但我的身体让我知道是时候说再见了

And that’s OK.

这也很好

I’m ready to let you go.

我已经做好准备跟你说再见了

I want you to know now

我现在只是想让你知道

So we both can savor⁵ every moment we have left together.

我们俩都可以永远珍藏着彼此一起度过的每一段时光

The good and the bad.

无论是好的，还是坏的

We have given each other

我们已经给了彼此

All that we have.

我们所能给的全部

And we both know, no matter what I do next

我们俩都知道，接下来无论我去做什么

I’ll always be that kid

我都会是那个

With the rolled up socks

穿着老爸的直筒袜

Garbage can in the corner

瞄准角落里的垃圾桶

:05 seconds on the clock

假装进攻时间还有5秒

Ball in my hands.

手里拿着篮球的小孩

5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

5秒…4秒…3秒…2秒…1秒

Love you always,

一直爱你的，

Kobe

科比