FOTO/VIDEO  Kobe Bryant: 'Draga košarko, spreman sam te pustiti'

Kobe Bryant odlučio je spustiti zavjesu na svoju bogatu karijeru. Nakon 20 nezaboravnih godina, mahnuo je bijelom zastavom i službeno najavio odlazak u mirovinu na kraju sezone.

''Ova sezona je sve što još mogu dati'', napisao je Bryant u pjesmi pod naslovom 'Draga košarko', kojom se na jedinstven način oprostio od onoga što je najviše volio.

Njegova posljednja utakmica bit će 13. travnja kod kuće protiv Utah Jazza.

''Moje srce i um mogu mi govore da mogu, ali moje tijelo zna da je došlo vrijeme za reći zbogom. I to je u redu. Spreman sam te pustiti'', rekla je legenda Lakersa.

Bryant je u karijeri osvojio pet NBA naslova, 17 puta je igrao na All-Staru i bio MVP 2007/08. U cijeloj karijeri igrao je za samo jedan klub, Los Angeles Lakerse. Oprašta se kao najbolji strijelac kluba u povijesti, kao najmlađi igrač koji je postigao 30 000 koševa u NBA-u i treći strijelac svih vremena iza Jabbara i Malonea. Također ima dva olimpijska zlata.

''Svi smo tužni. Ova era Lakersa bila je jedna od najzabavnijih i najuzbudljivijih koje možemo zamisliti. Dajemo mu punu podršku, ali još uvijek je to vrlo tužno'', izjavila je predsjednica Lakersa Jeannie Buss.

 

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