It’s a weird day.
If you turned on the news today, you’d hear that line from a
lot of stunned players in the National Basketball Association. The reason I’m
writing to you today is because I’m stunned as well. I’m shook.
I took one look at D-Wade’s reaction and immediately became
emotional. Sitting on my couch in front of my roommates, head in my hoodie to dry the tears. I’m not
alone in this feeling though, an entire world is feeling this. From Myrtle
Beach to Hamden To Philly to Beijing.
I heard the news with three hours remaining in an eight hour
car ride back home from a tournament in Florida. Teams representing states from
all over and I bet my life if you asked each player on each team, and all the
fans attending…every single person knew of the man the world refers to as “Kobe”.
You showed the world how to have that infamous “Mamba
Mentality” and how to switch it off once you left the court. How once the
jersey is off, you transform too. Stare
them down on the court, dap them up after the game.
If you looked into your eyes during a game you’d see a cracked,
dry, barren desert with one serpent staring right into your soul. In that
moment, you knew your fate and you did your best to stave off the fight that
was about to ensue.
I never had the privilege to meet you in person, I never
even saw you play live but I’ve said for years I’d end up regretting that and boy
was I right. However, I was fortunate to have you as a figure in my life, for
my entire life.
I donned your jersey as a child (even though I rooted
against you in ’08) because you taught me it was okay to shoot daggers of all
sorts when you stepped on that playing surface. You were allowed to stand your
ground and own that ground as long as you backed it up.
It sucked to see you leave in ’16, but boyyyyy did it give
me goosebumps when you hit that free throw (Take notes Shaq) to give you 60 in
your final game. All while coming back from an injury that could’ve and
probably should’ve been career ending…but no one out works you. Ever.
Your playing career was over, but it sure felt like you were
just getting started. From your foundations, to showing off your beautiful family and how you were not only an elite NBA Player, but an even better family man.
We asked for your hustle, and you were right when you
said you gave us your heart.
I heard today you wanted a piece of your heart to go on and play for
UConn. As a boy from Hamden, Connecticut, who watched Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird,
Swin Cash, Rebecca Lobo, and Maya Moore light up my grandmother’s eyes every
single season, it only felt right to see you and Gigi feel that same exact light.
Hell, you might have even coached her at UConn with your love for the game, especially
on the women’s side because you saw it all as one. It was all basketball.
Always.
It’s been a weird day because you weren’t just an NBA Player
to me. You weren’t just a jersey hanging in my closet. You weren’t just 81
points.
You were Nickelodean
You were milk mustache posters in our cafeteria
You were my paper ball in Italian class….”Garbage can in the
corner...5 seconds on the clock…ball in hands"
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1
You were a mentality.
Love you, Bean. Always.
-B
-B
