Kobe, 13 years ago, a twelve years young me fell in love with the game. 13 is quite late to pick up playing basketball, the kid was nothing but a noob. He had never shot a jumpshot, never had hustled down on defense, never blocked a shot and most of all, the only player he knew at the time was Michael. You know, Space Jam was huge at the time. However, it took only a couple of weeks after the very first practice with the team from the next village for him to fall in love, deeply, passionately, viscerally with the game. The kid had a beloving mother who knew he wanted to know more about the game. She bought him a journal, “Superbasket”, and in that weekly number there was a “special” two-sided poster. On one side there was the best PG in the league at the time, Steve Nash, on the other, a young Kobe, going for a dunk. To be completely honest, the kid didn’t know any of the two, but there was something about the player with the gold&purple uniform that shocked him. He thought “Man, if I ever become good at playing ball, I want to be like this guy wearing the number 8. I’m gonna hang it on the wall with the poor Canadian guy facing concrete.” From that point on you became the Reason. You were the Reason for his hustle. The Reason why he wore a wristband on the left arm before. The Reason why he was jelaous of his teammate wearing number 8. The Reason why his coach freaked out regularly trying to teach a 13 years him how to properly pull up a jumpshot, while he used to shoot fade aways, out of balance, trying to hang in the air. The Reason why he will always regret not having been passionate about NBA during your first 3-peat. Man, what a show he missed. You were the Reason why he used to finish homework as quick as possible every afternoon, just so he could go out in the backyard or at the court couple miles away just to shoot jumpshots. This became even more intense after he heard on a TV show that you used to have a gym connected to your mansion, where you would go every single day during the summer to shoot something like 10000 shoots. You were the Reason why he used to hate the Heat after they won the championship. The kid didn’t like Shaq at the time and used to think “Kobe should have another ring, he deserves that!!” (now I love the big fella. I mean, how is it possible for someone not to love Shaq?) The Reason why when the kid became a teenager, January 22nd 2006, he made a professor seriously angry in high-school after he walked into the classroom, 8 in the morning, screaming “GUYS, 81 POINTS GAME!!!”. The reason why that day the kid bought 3 newspaper just to find the one having the better analysis of that game vs Toronto. You are the Reason why, at his parents place, the kid still has hung on the inside of his closet the article from the journal describing your performance on that day. You were the reason why after the loss in the 2008 Finals against Boston he didn’t sleep, he just drove back home all alone without talking to anyone, hiding his anger and frustration. Hero and Villain right? 3 heroes for the Celtics, the Villain playing for LA. For once he wanted the “bad guy” to be the winner. You were the Reason why he screamed out loud the next years, against Orlando and versus Boston again, when you finally got what you more than anyone else deserved. “The face”, the picture of your passionate, visceral love for the game. The picture of an hero, for many, a villain at the same time, for many others. The Reason why, last year, that kid followed live the draft lottery, celebrating when the Lakers got the second pick thinking “hell yeah, Kobe needs some good rookie to have a competitive time once again”. You are the Reason why next Thursday the kid, who is now a 24 years old man, will go to work wearing your Jersey. He will do that proudly, willing to tell everyone who is gonna ask ‘why that shirt?’ “Well, today Kobe plays his last game, it’s gonna be tough for him and we have to let him know he’s not alone, he’s been with us many times, we’re gonna stand alongside him this time”. I, together with thousands of kids from my generation, will always admire you and be thankful for the blessing it has been having the opportunity of enjoying the show you put on for the past 20 years. Kobe, you’ve been the Reason for the kid I was and somehow I still am. You’ve been the Reason for so many other people everywhere. The Reason to work hard, to never give up, to always aim for the top,to push theirselves to their limit. The Reason that allowed so many to work hard enough to become who they are now. I am not even close to be a decent basketball player. It turned out my love for the game was huge but my talent wasn’t. I am trying to become a scientist now and you can bet your ass I am pushing and hustling to reach my goals as much as I used to do with the Game. This is due to that visceral love for something that was taught me by the Hero wearing the 24.
