Dear Basketball

The superstar professional basketball player Kobe Bryant is the author of the epistolary love poem “Dear Basketball,” and Bryant published it in 2015 to announce his retirement from basketball. Bryant played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the top basketball league in the world, for 20 years, and the entire time he played for the Los Angeles Lakers—a storied NBA franchise. Bryant stockpiled awards, accomplishments, and accolades. He won five NBA championships, two NBA Finals most valuable player (MVP) awards, one regular season MVP award, and played in the NBA All-Star Game 18 times.

To maintain his high level of play, Bryant painstakingly practiced and reviewed films of great players. His unrelenting commitment to basketball caused tension on his teams, as did his behavior off the court. The poem acknowledges that Bryant had problems, but his unyielding love for the game made his tumultuous career worth it. The poem’s themes include Love and Obsession, Fate and Destiny, and When to Let Go. The poem sends the message that a person can let go of something even if they love it deeply. Aside from the poem, Bryant published a book, The Mamba Mentality (2018), to illuminate his dedication to basketball.