Five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA finals MVP, two Olympic gold medals and 33,305 points. His name synonymous with the NBA, the Michael Jordan of our time: Kobe Bryant.
He has changed the game of basketball as we know it. As he makes his farewell tour this season, I can't help but get emotional and reminisce about everything that he has done for this game. So, as his last season comes to an end, I felt that it was necessary to give tribute to him. So, here it is.
Thank you, Kobe, for being a basketball role model.
I remember sitting on the couch as a little girl watching the Lakers game with my dad. He told me all about his basketball idol "The Black Mamba." Basketball players everywhere study his every move to perfect his fade away shot and attempt his left-handed three-pointer. Not to mention, there are always fights over who gets to wear the number 24 on their jersey because everyone wants the number of a champion on their back. He has not only influenced people like me and you, but has also impacted NBA players such as Kevin Durant from OKC and James Harden of the Houston Rockets, just to name a couple.
Kobe has showed us time after time how to hit a game-winning shot.
We are going to miss those heart-pounding moments: three, two, one. Buzzer beater, game-winning shot, "Kobe has done it again!" The crowd goes wild. We have always counted on him to take the last shot without even hesitating. Thank you for giving us those clutch moments, that we as fans live for.
Thank you for putting your mind, body and soul into the game of basketball.
Kobe has shown us time after time that you should always give 110 percent of your effort. At the age of 37, we still see you throwing yourself on the floor for a loose ball. That even when you are tired, you give it everything that you have. We have watched you drive hard in the paint when seconds before you were out of breath, gasping for air. We have seen you push yourself to the limit time and time again. Thank you for teaching us that the sport of basketball is more than just a game, but a passion.
You proved to us that an 81-point game that once seemed impossible, possible.
Behind Wilt Chamberlin's 100 points, Kobe became the second player to have the highest scoring game against the Raptors with an incredible 81 points. Re-watching his highlight video from that game still puts me in awe. He made 28 out of 46 shots that night, displaying an outstanding performance. His performance that night is one that will go down in NBA history.
Watch All of Kobe's 81 Points in 3 minutes.
We will never forget your famous mamba face.
We all know when the mamba face is on, you mean business. The Black Mamba is coming out in full swing and ready to dominate.
You never let any injury, big or small, get in your way.
From sprained ankles, bad knees or dislocated fingers, it never stopped you from playing. Kobe's most recent injury, a dislocated finger against the San Antonio Spurs, demonstrates his determination to finish what he started. However, we will never forget the most devastating injury: the Achilles tear that rocked the world (the NBA world at least). One of the most inspiring things that I have seen were the two free-throws right after he tore his Achilles. He not only shot, but made both of those free-throws. Once again he showed us that he puts his body and soul into the game of basketball and that giving up is never an option.
Thank you, Kobe.
I am grateful that I got the opportunity to watch Kobe influence and transform the game of basketball. He has inspired people around the world by the way he plays basketball. Although he is leaving, he will never be forgotten. No. 24 on the court and number one in our hearts. There is a quote by him that I live and play by which is, "Everything negative -- pressures, challenges -- is all an opportunity for me to rise." Kobe, we know your legacy will never fall.