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