Kobe Bryant 宣布将在赛季结束后退役

Kobe Bryant 将何时退役？是新赛季 NBA 开赛以来最被热议的话题之一，就在大家感伤「黑曼巴」的球场表现越发挣扎之时，这位传奇球星终于在 The Players’ Tribune 上宣布，将在赛季结束后结束自己的篮球生涯。在 Kobe 亲自撰写的这篇《Dear Basketball》独白信中，每一字每一句都透露出他对于这项运动的热爱，以及离别时刻的不舍。从儿时幻想自己在 Lakers 主场投进致胜绝杀开始，Kobe 便将自己的身心、精神和灵魂托付给篮球，即便在伤病、谣言和质疑的摧残下，依旧为之倾其所有，最终通过不懈努力成为史上最伟大的球员之一。纵观 Kobe 这传奇的 20 年职业生涯，他为广大球迷留下了无数永生难忘的瞬间，从三连冠时期的不可一世，到单场 81 分的君临天下，再到生涯末端倒地救球的奋不顾身，「全力以赴」永远是他的座右铭。下面便带来这封独白信的完整内容，也祝愿 Kobe 能在剩下来的赛季中保持健康，为自己的职业生涯划上完美句点！

Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

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.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have. 

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
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,
Kobe