北京時間11月30日，湖人球星科比-布萊恩特在球星看臺網站上親筆撰寫了一篇文章，透露本賽季將成為他個人職業生涯的最後一個賽季。以下為全文內容：

 

下為譯文：

親愛的籃球：

從我第一次穿上我父親的筒形短襪，開始想像中自己置身於大西部論壇球館（大西部論壇球館原為NBA場館之一，從1967年至1999年期間一直是洛杉磯湖人隊的主場，它也是湖人隊使用時間最長的主場）投進那些制勝投籃之時，我就確切明白了一件事情：

我深深愛上了你。

深愛，我為你傾其所有——從我的心、我的身體到我的精神我的靈魂。

六歲時愛上了一顆躍動的皮球，卻從未見到過隧道盡頭的一抹曙光，我只看見自己一直在隧道中用盡力氣奔跑奔跑奔跑。

所以我一直在跑。我在場上前後來回地跑，為了你去追逐每一個地板球，你渴望我的拼搶，我就還你全部身心，因為這之間蘊含了太多的東西。

我帶著傷痛打球，打到汗流浹背，不是因為“挑戰”呼喚了我，是因為你呼喚了我。我做的一切都是為了你，因為你能夠讓一個人感受到鮮活的生命感。

你贈予了一個六歲男孩他的湖人夢，我會因此而永遠愛你。但我無法再繼續這樣瘋狂地迷戀你了，這個賽季，我已經傾其所有。我的心還能夠承受住磨難，我的心態還能夠處理好艱難。但我的身體已經知道，是時候説再見了。

這沒事，這沒事。我已經準備好讓你走了，我希望你現在知道，這樣一來，剩餘的時間內，我們可以盡情享受每一時刻。

好的和壞的，我們已經給予了各自所有。

我們都知道，無論接下來我會做什麼。

我都會是那個孩子。

穿著襪子，瞄著墻角的垃圾罐。

“還剩5秒鐘！”

5 4 3 2 1

永遠愛你的，

科比

 

下為英文原文：

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