Basketball fans around the world were saddened upon knowing that Kobe Bryant, a basketball-cult in many countries, will retire after this season, ending his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant wrote a poem, titled “Dear Basketball,” to officially announce his decision to walk away from the NBA. His poetic letter was posted on The Players Tribune and fans all over the world were touched by the impending departure of one of the greatest athletes to play basketball.

Here are five lines from Bryant’s letter that will certainly touch a fan’s basketball heart.

As a six-year-old boy deeply in love with you, I never saw the end of the tunnel.

Bryant, the son of former NBA players Joe “Bean” Bryant, grew up in Italy where he became an avid player of both soccer and basketball. When his family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, he led the Lower Merion High School basketball team to the state championship four years in a row and started working out with the 76ers.

Bryant opted to jump off of high school to the NBA and was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th overall pick in 1996, but was then traded to the Lakers.

I did everything for YOU because that’s what you do when someone makes you feel as alive as you’ve made me feel.

Bryant helped the Lakers win three consecutive championships in 2000-2002 and inked multiple deals with endorsers. It was one of the most successful runs of Bryant’s NBA career, but after Lakers centre superstar Shaquille O’Neal left the team in 2004, the “Black Mamba” started to play through LA’s struggles.

Considered as one of the game’s prolific scorer, Bryant poured in 81 points in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest single-game mark in NBA history. He also led the league in scoring on that year and the following season.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream and I’ll always love you for it, but I can’t love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give.

After five years of championship drought, the Lakers went back to title contention after surrounding Bryant with efficient players. In 2008, the 37-year-old Bryant was named the league’s MVP and led the Lakers in the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. But LA bounced back and won two-straight championships, defeating the Orlando Magic and the Celtics respectively.

The franchise took a turn after their short championship run, struggling to find their winning ways even with a healthy Bryant. In April 2013, Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon and focused on recovering for the next season. However, just six games into the 2013-2014 season, Bryant sustained another injury (fractured knee). He then returned the next year stronger, but a torn rotator cuff in January 2015 ended his season, signaling that Bryant may need to retire from the NBA.

My heart can take the pounding, my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye… I’m ready to let you go.

This season, Lakers fans were enthralled to see that Bryant will play the last year of his two-year $48.5 million contract. But as the season goes on, Bryant struggled mightily with his game, earning him calls from pundits to consider retirement.

Bryant is posting a career-low of 31.5 in shooting percentage, making him the lowest in the league among players who had taken at least 150 attempts. Bryant’s three-point percentage was also a career-low at 19.5, partially contributing to the Lakers’ potentially doomed season.

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… 5 seconds on the clock ball in my hands. 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

The Lakers and head coach Byron Scott seem to have no intention on keeping Bryant from playing. Scott told ESPN that he “would never, never, never” bench Bryant despite playing poorly this season. “That’s not an option whatsoever,” Scot added.

All indications are pointing that this season is Bryant’s farewell tour and his last for the NBA and basketball fans all over the planet. Black Mamba Out.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

RELATED STORIES