Category: Sports

Kobe Bryant Reminds Me Why I Love Sports

I grew up in a sports-fanatic home, but I’ve gotten away from watching professional games. Cheating is rampant, money is over the top, too many of the athletes are criminals.

But I stumbled on Kobe Bryant’s last game with the Lakers tonight, and I’m glad I did.

There’s something about watching an athlete perform that prompts a visceral reaction. The grace, the concentration, the strength, the coordination…it can bring me to tears.

And Kobe did it right. Not only did he rise to the occasion in an incredibly pressure-filled situation…but he smiled while he did it. He laughed. His pure joy for the game shined in his performance. His final game will go down in history.

He was a kid who revered the Lakers. All he ever wanted to do was play basketball. And he won the golden ticket, playing for twenty years for the team he loved.

What an example he is. Find what you love, and go at it hard. Dedicate yourself to being the best. Thanks, Kobe, for a wonderful career. What a way to go out.