Dear Kobe,
Your relentless pursuit of perfection was unparalleled to anything I had ever witnessed growing up. You left me heartbroken in 2009 and I hated you for it. I tried to find faults in your game and character, but the deeper I dug, the more I respected you. The tenacity you brought to the court was a testament to your work ethic. All-star game or game 7 of the NBA finals, you gave every basketball challenge your 100%. You led a generation of players that modeled the “mamba mentality”. Your greatness will never be forgotten, and shall be carried by those that follow.
Being the best on-court is hard enough, but being the ideal citizen off the court is even harder. After one early career slip up, you cleaned your act up and never once did we see another blemish. A loving father to 3 daughters while striving to be the best on the court is no easy feat. The transition from player to coach and father was seamless. Similar to basketball, you perfected fatherhood and became a role model for young NBA fathers.
At first I refused to believe the tragedy. Not Kobe. Not now. It took a day for me to realize the severity of the accident. I tried not to think about it, but the highlights poured in. It made me realize how much of my childhood you represented. You renewed the classic Celtics vs Lakers rivalry, and single handedly carried your team to beat 3 hall of famers. 2009 was the moment I knew you were superhuman. Your body and mind were always in constant harmony, and you gave basketball some of the greatest performances ever.
Thank you for the memories and life lessons you taught us. Rest easy Kobe & Gigi.
Sincerely,
Dhruv
Dhruv's Bubble 