When I booked the tickets months earlier, I hadn’t realised just how close to the tunnel I would be sitting.
There I was, section 117 of the Staples Center, with a view right up the Lakers tunnel and literally within arm’s reach of the players.
I always get to games early; I like to watch the warm-ups. This time, I was treated to a high-five from Jodie Meeks, Jordan Hill was kind enough to take a photo and Steve Nash looked at me (I swear he did).
In all the activity it didn’t even dawn on me who else might be walking out of that tunnel, until, all of a sudden, there he was: Kobe Bean Bryant.
My immediate thoughts were “damn he’s skinny,” and “nobody has ever made a suit and basketball shoes work that well.”
In that moment, I suddenly understood what every 12-year-old girl feels at a One Direction concert. I don’t know if he ever heard the grown man screaming “I love you, Kobe!” But the sentiment remained the same.
As a journalist, I try to keep my emotions out of the stories I write. Not today though.
Today is a very emotional day. Today Kobe Bryant will take to the floor in an NBA game for the final time, drawing to a close one of the greatest careers not only in basketball but in all of sports.
My life is going to be different after today, because Kobe Bryant changed my life.
You may think, “Who cares?” Or maybe something like, “steady on mate, he’s just an NBA player.” And I wouldn’t blame you, it does all sound a bit dramatic.
If you’re thinking that, this isn’t the article for you – thanks for coming, have a great day.
But for those of you out there that have ever idolised somebody, sportsperson or otherwise, I hope this resonates with you.
I actually discovered Kobe and the NBA a lot later than most. Even a few years ago, basketball didn’t have nearly the popularity in Australia that it does today. One day, at home sick from school, I picked up a rented copy of NBA Live 2005 – remember when you could still rent games and movies?
Carmelo Anthony still had cornrows, LeBron James was still underage and Kobe was at the height of his powers. I didn’t really understand any of that, I just knew that, when I played as the Lakers, this one guy didn’t miss.
After that, it’s actually pretty remarkable how much basketball dominated my life. Within a couple of years I was not only a fan but a player, coach and eventually started writing articles analysing it. After my family and friends, it is the single biggest influence in my life, and Kobe is responsible for much of that.
The basketball bug didn’t leave my family and friends alone either. My mother is the world’s biggest bandwagon LeBron James fan, purposely picking Kobe’s biggest rival to annoy me.
I’ll never forget my father’s face – a man who gets his most animated about sport when complaining how much news coverage it gets – as I regularly felt the need to tell him about Kobe’s stats, height, weight, family, childhood story and who knows what else.
I’ll also never forget how much he loved visiting Madison Square Garden with me and finally understanding what it meant to me.
As his career wound down, players, analysts and fans alike have shared their favourite Kobe memories. Five rings, 81 points in a game, two gold medals, and countless dunks, shots and victories. They were all brilliant and incredible accomplishments. But they aren’t what I will remember.
What I will remember about Kobe Bryant is the anticipation. The pure excitement he gave me every time the ball was in his hands. There was always the chance you were about to witness something amazing, and more often than not you did.
I’ve not experienced that with any other player.
Even last week against the Celtics, his body breaking down, there was one of those moments. As he stole the ball from Evan Turner, ran the full court and dunked it home two-handed, the only way to describe my face was it was akin to a kid’s on Christmas.
I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss him.
Why have I told you this? Why should you be interested? No reason really, I just wanted to highlight the genuine effect this man has had on my life. And this, I believe, speaks to the true power of sports.
You hear regularly of the affect a book, a film, a band or an artist can have on someone. I argue that a sport, or in this case an athlete, can have just as much impact on someone.
Kobe was always there, on the good days and the bad. His passion for the game of basketball introduced that same passion into my life. He gave me a way to distract myself when times weren’t so great. He gave a kid who was scared and had no idea what to do with himself after school a path to follow.
The reason I’m a sports journalist today is 100 per cent thanks to Kobe Bryant. I couldn’t let his retirement pass without doing something to acknowledge what he has meant to me.
Kobe will likely never know who I am. But there’s no doubt he changed my life, and I just want to say, “Thanks man.”
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