The basketball world received some pretty shocking news this week as Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant announced he is retiring after this season. Kobe, who is currently in his 20th season in the NBA (all with the Lakers), will leave the game as one of the best players ever to play it. With five championship rings, an MVP, and 17 all-star game appearances, his stats speak for themselves. What fans of the game will miss the most is seeing him compete night in and night out on the court, never giving up, and having a winning mentality.

As a fan of the game I understand the decision Bryant is making, but it is going to be weird to see him leave. Growing up I remember watching Kobe and his Lakers winning championship after championship, and his hard work he put in on and off the court to me was amazing. He could score the ball whenever he wanted and was also a prime defender. He truly was the Michael Jordan of my era, and of many other fans as well. Every night he played with the mentality that his team was going to win, and for the most part they did. Even when he was surrounded by sub-par talent, he never took it easy and always gave it his all.

There are two career moments that stick out to me when I look back on the career of Kobe Bryant. The first one being the five championships that he won. The first three in consecutive years, and the the other two back to back just years later. Seeing Kobe dominate the league as I grew up was amazing to see and I will never forget it. The next accomplishment that sticks out in my mind was on January 22, 2006 when he scored a jaw-dropping 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on the road. That today still stand as the second highest points scored in a single game, behind the great Wilt Chamberlain's astonishing 100 point game back in the 1962 season. We may never see another performance like Bryant put on display ever again.

It is hard to put into words what Kobe Bryant has done for the NBA and fans everywhere. In the past couple seasons it has been hard to watch Kobe suffer from season-ending injuries the past two years, so I knew it was about his time to hang it up. As a fan I want to be selfish and see him play forever. Watch him go against Lebron James and Paul Pierce. Watch him battle every night giving his chance a team to win. I am not ready to close the book on Kobe Bryant's career and I'm not sure if any of us will ever be ready. He is a player that comes once in a lifetime, and to say that I was able to grow up watching one of the greatest players ever play the game is an honor, and for that myself, and thousands of other fans thank you for that Mr. Bryant.