Goodbye to a Legend: Kobe Bryant
By Etelvina Castillo
With over 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant announced his retirement with a short poem last fall. The poem “Dear Basketball” is on The Players’ Tribune website. “I’m ready to let you go, / I want you to know now / So we both can savor every moment we have left,” Bryant wrote. “My mind can handle the grind / But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” Bryant to many is considered a basketball legend. He has helped the Lakers win five NBA championships, and he has two Olympic medals.
Picture from insidesocal.com: Kobe Bryant waves to fans after scoring 60 points in the final game of his career against the against the Utah Jazz. April 13, 2016. Los Angeles, CA.Ê (Photo by David Crane/Southern California News Group)
Brant’s last game was April 13, 2016, at the Los Angeles Staples Center. Scoring 60 points in his final game, Bryant put on a show for all his fans. After the game was over, Bryant took a moment and kneeled down to sign his name on the hardwood floor panels.
Bryant’s last game became trending topic on all social media platforms such as instagram, twitter and Facebook. Fans from all over the world used the hashtag #MambaDay which was used 2.87 million times on the day of Bryants last game. “Black Mamba” is the nickmame Bryant gave himself a few years ago. A Black Mamba is an African snake feared by many and is said to be the fastest snake on land in the world.
His last game of his career was legendary. The legend of Kobe Bryant will live forever.