Kobe Bryant has long looked up to Michael Jordan and emulated his game.
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So before entering his 20th National Basketball Association season and the final year of his contract, Kobe sought advice from Jordan about retiring, which he announced on Sunday.
Retired soccer star David Beckham posted on Instagram.com, “There are many words that describe this man but for me the one that Kobe stands for is “winner”…”
It’s finally here – the moment that fans and basketball enthusiasts everywhere around the world were dreading: Kobe Bryant announced that the 2014-15 season would be his final NBA season.
Today, we highlight some of the reactions that hip-hop has had since The Black Mamaba’s announcement yesterday.
In addition to the poem, Bryant also wrote a letter specifically for his LA fans who came to watch the Lakers play the Indiana Pacers Sunday. You guys treated one of our legends like s– and I didn’t really like it. Hopefully now you can start being nice to him now that he made a decision to retire after this year. Although Slay has seen the Lakers play multiple times at The Palace and once in Los Angeles, he hasn’t yet met the basketball icon.
“You take a lot of things away from him”, Nelson said. “Just thinking about some of the guys that I take advantage of now, taking advantage of me later – that doesn’t sit too well with me”, said Bryant in an interview with Wojnarowski three years ago.
In 2007, at age of 29, Bryant became the youngest National Basketball Association player to reach 20,000 career points, since surpassed by another National Basketball Association legend, LeBron James.
“This is it”, Bryant said. Bryant, 37, joined the Lakers in 1996 from the team of Lower Merion High School in suburban Philadelphia. It’s time for Kevin Durant to let go of his vendetta against the media. Pushed me to be better more than any player I’ve faced.
I fell in love with you.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith weighed in on Kobe Bryant’s retirement as he tweeted, “One of the most under appreciated players to ever play is saying goodbye to the game he gave his all!…”
