When Kobe Bryant released “Dear Basketball,” his retirement song
It was only ten years ago, and it seems so long ago… On November 29, 2015, the late Kobe Bryant posted a love letter to basketball on The Players’ Tribune websitewhich he places on every seat in the Staples Center inside a pretty black envelope. It’s the actual song where the Lakers number 24 announces that he will retire at the end of this season.
“You gave a six-year-old a dream to play for the Lakers.”
And I will always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively much longer.
This season is the last one I can offer you.
My heart can take the shock
My mind can fight
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”
Caught up with the times
That night, the Lakers suffered their sixth straight loss, but it was anecdotal. All the microphones are extended towards Kobe Bryant to hear and listen to his explanations for this song and this choice to leave the stage. USA Basketball was there, front row.
« The final decision was made more or less in 72 hours, between the announcement to the team, the coach, the letter written to the fans and the one in which I announced my decision. I wanted to approach the game, I had never done it before and it was a stimulating exercise” he says with a smile on his lips. “I’ve never told basketball how much I love it. It’s a decision of my heart, I didn’t want to wait any longer to communicate it. You can’t make a decision like that based on external circumstances, it has to be a personal decision. I had to accept the fact that I didn’t want to do all this anymore, but the decision had been made for a while. I had to answer a simple question: ‘Do you want to continue all this?’ The answer is ‘no’. I am at peace with myself because I gave everything, there was nothing more I could do. »
At the time, the Lakers were at rock bottom and Kobe Bryant had been battling injuries since rupturing his Achilles tendon. He thought he was stronger than time, but his body has the last word.
« I have worked so hard to get back and continue to work like crazy to stop playing bad and reach the end of myself. I stretch three times a day and will do it again tonight and tomorrow morning before I fly, ice it, really do my best. And yet I play like shit. I really do my best, so it’s easier to feel good about my decision. I don’t feel sad. It’s a natural cycle. I’ve had so many amazing moments and I love the pain when I get up because it reminds me of everything I’ve accomplished to get here. I am very grateful for what I have. You could say I was a little relieved. But I will continue to push my limits to do my best. »
Farewell tour confirmed by Michael Jordan
If the official announcement took place on November 29, 2015, the Lakers star met several people, not the least of which: Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan.
« I talked about it with Phil Jackson and he advised me to divide the season into several parts, I will play match by match, continuing to do my best, to help, to teach the other players. Before training camp started, I knew it was time. There was still one “but” and we can say that it was to see what will happen this season. The fire inside is not the same and I feel very comfortable with my decision. I began to realize that my obsession with basketball was different during the meditation session. I didn’t think about stopping now, I want to finish this season. There is so much beauty in this suffering. I know it must sound strange, but I appreciate the beauty of hard times as much as I appreciate the beauty of happy times. In that progression, I learn the most about myself. The finals we lost and the difficulties we went through complete the journey. I discussed my decision with Michael Jordan this summer, he was one of the first to know. He really told me to enjoy it, to enjoy it, in good times or bad. It will be great to be able to play all these places one last time. I’m eager. »
The song becomes an Oscar-winning cartoon
It’s 2015, and when a reporter asks him what he plans to do next, Kobe Bryant already mentions creation. ” When I was 21 years old, I had the opportunity to talk to Giorgio Armani. Out of curiosity, I started asking him questions about his work. He told me he started when he was 40. There I said to myself: ‘I will probably play until the age of 35, but after that what will I do with my life?’. It took me fifteen years to find the answers: storytelling. That’s what I love. In making the documentary, I really realized that there is a flame within me for education to be creative, to put puzzle pieces together and tell stories that inspire. »
A year later, the song became the cartoon “Dear Basketball”, and he was surrounded by illustrator Glen Keane and composer John Williams. to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film 2018. This will be his last award, and for him, ” it was even better than the NBA title. »
2025-11-29 13:48:00
