22 December 2015

Gentlefolk,

This post is a tribute to a great basketball player, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant

 “My heart can take the pounding

My mind can handle the grind

But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye ... "

With those words Kobe Bryant announced his pending retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA) on 29 November 2015.

 These lines were part of a poem titled “Dear Basketball”, which explained his decision to retire at the end of the 2015-16 season (it looks unlikely the Lakers will make the Playoffs, so his career will probably end in March 2016).

The poem is long and poignant.  A fitting farewell for a champion.

Background

Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia on 23 August 1978.  His father, Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, played for the Philly 76ers; but Kobe was a fan of the LA Lakers and he joined the Lakers in 1996, straight from High School.

Kobe has spent his entire 20 year NBA career with the Lakers. His nickname is Black Mamba (he says he is quick and dangerous, just like this snake).  He is 1.98m tall and weighs in at 93kg.

Kobe has had a remarkable basketball career.

As at 19 December 2015 he had played 1,303 regular season NBA games and scored 32,866 points (25.2 average points per game; 4.8 assists; 5.3 rebounds). 

In December 2014 Kobe passed Michael Jordan to become the third highest regular season point scorer in NBA history (#1 is Abdul Jabar with 38,387; #2 is Karl Malone with 36,928).

Kobe’s highest score was 81 against the Toronto Raptors in 2006;  he is second to Wilt Chamberlain who scored an unbelievable 100 points in a game back in 1962.

Kobe has played 220 Playoff games with an average PPG of 25.6.

Kobe won the NBA Championships five times with the Lakers: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010.

He was selected on the NBA All Star team 17 times (voted MVP four times). 

Kobe won Gold with the US Basketball Team at two Olympic Games: Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

His achievements go on and on and on.  Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2001 – 10 decade. 

What a guy!

Family

In November 1999 Kobe met 17 year old Vanessa Laine.  Against his parent’s wishes, they married on 18 April 2001; have two daughters, Natalia (2003) and Gianna (2006).

Ballet on steroids

The NBA has a huge following in China, and for a decade or more Kobe was the most popular player.  His jersey ‘Kobe Lakers 24’ outsold all other shirts combined. In recent years the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry have taken over. 

When I came to China I quickly realised that many students were ardent followers of the NBA.  I played basketball in High School, so was naturally interested in the sport. I was amazed and captivated by the athleticism and skill of these giant men (like ballet on steroids!), and Kobe was one of the best.

Tributes

Following Kobe’s retirement announcement, I discussed his life with my classes.  The boys loved talking about him; even the girls were impressed.

I gave my two English Major classes (Freshmen, all girls) an assignment: compose a simple poem as a tribute to Kobe Bryant: it should contain three lines, and a maximum of 12 words. 

Here are some of their compositions.

Tributes to Kobe Bryant by selected students in EM1502 and EM1503

Aurora	Kobe Bryant / The nation’s pride / Our hero.
Chany	No words / No tears / No regrets; go Kobe.
Penny	An era ends / Black Mamba / Forever, my Kobe.
Ivana	Dreams come true / Our hero / Goodbye Kobe.
Alice	The Black Mamba / A legend / Best player ever.
Jasmine	Kobe / Spare no effort / always working hard.
Sally	Kobe is a hero / An idol / For a generation
Alyssa	Irreplaceable dream / Unbroken faith / Miracle-man Kobe.
Carol	Kobe / Sweetheart / Luck be with you forever.
Sunny	Fly like a bird / Spin like a top / Shoot like a star; Kobe.
Heidi	Twenty years achieving / Retirement beckons / Good memories; Kobe.
Julie	My warrior within / Amazing talent / The one and only Kobe Bryant.
Lucy	Countless glories /  Kobe, my hero / Love you always.
Evelyn	Twenty years of honor / The people’s hero / A legend; Kobe.

What do you think of their tributes?

Here are some photos of this remarkable athlete.

Above: two NBA young guns: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.  Below: fifteen years later, two NBA veterans.  Kobe wore #8 when he started playing with the Lakers. but then switched to #24.  Anyone know why he changed number? Some say #24 was his number in High School, others say it reflects his 24/7 commitment to basketball.

The Bryant family holidaying in Mykonos, Greece, July 2014.

The Bryant girls supporting the US Womens Soccer Team at the 2015 World Cup in Canada this year.

Thanks for the memories, Kobe.  You are a legend.

...

That's it for this post.

Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Tuesday  22 December 2015


Qingdao TV program featuring two foreign teachers, Dr Laxmisha Rai and myself.  Click HERE.