02-04-2020, 04:14 PM | #1 |
Everything's Connected
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24/8: I Am Kobe
"But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer... This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And that’s okay... I’m ready to let you go.” - Kobe Bryant
...... Endgame April 13th 2016 was the date, Hollywood arrived to pay homage I'm shooting passed the Utah Jazz, all eyes were trained on me Like a replay image, my wrist is poised in that Michael way Who else can say they dropped 60 points in their final game? A sure fire Hall of Famer, famous in the state where I'm living Where mistakes are forgiven in exchange for greatness and winning I hugged my coaches and teammates, did that waving gesture They just can't turn the page on veterans in the Staples Center... Now my last walk's in pictures, the flashbulbs were clickin' Don't care about others opinions, none were cut from my linen They sink and drown in talent pool's, I'm dunking those swimming But in the end all I could think about was the beginning... The Early Years I was born in Philly to Joe and Pamela, the youngest of three My two older sisters kept me company and from running the streets My father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played professionally overseas He was the model of inspiration for everything I hoped to be My parents visited Kobe Japan and fell in love with the venue I can tell you I was named after a beef on a restaurant menu We moved to Italy in '84, I practiced and cleaned the bleachers Pops said learn Italy's speech kid, it'll leave you speechless So with the language on point I became a ball boy Was growing into tall joints, my chosen future ain't a hard choice But my deep love for A.C. Milan drew me to elite clubs It had "Bean" the reason for my strut; my time in Italy was up Moved back to Philadelphia; Lower Marion high school was buzzing Within a year I was the top teenage player in the country But we were winning nothing, season one came and went Passed Wilt Chamberlain's record, I made 'em wilt in every game I'm in A state Championship followed, the Kobe brand seemed promising Had pop stars on my arm, I even took Brandy to prom with me That's no top achievement, so I started spittin' to show my art Made a rap group CHEIZAW after seeing The Kid With the Golden Arm In Manhatten met Foxy and Nas, this was no amateur plan I ran with a band of misfits and was a growing Canibus fan Yet can't get the ball out of my hand, I was a star in the hood Obsessed with the sound the ball made bouncing off hard maple wood Should I skip college to get knowledge on what I truly loved? School can't measure up, I had the tools to rule these chumps Could've been dumb to not join North Carolina, Duke or Michigan I of course decided I had more to prove, I was on a mission kid But don't get it twisted, I could drain three's and write essay's with ease I could be whatever I wanted to be, I scored 1080 on my SAT's Every test was a breeze, so I jumped to the Draft at 17 I was betting no team in need could pass up getting me As luck would have it I went 13th, Charlotte was my home I guess Was gonna kick up a Hornet's nest but instead I'm going west They swapped me for Vlade Divac... what a town of traders Ironic how the famous "LA LA Land" had found a Laker... Purple and Gold My rookie season meant rookie mistakes, and I feared all praise I was just 18 when I had the infamous "airball" game It was the western conference semifinals, and God only knows... How I was able to miss the rim and backboard on four free throws But it focused me, I needed to grow and put the past in the mirror I won't hesitate to label that the defining action of my career The next year developed to an all-star, that blunder had helped I even added a slam dunk contest win under my belt Now I can never lay up, all my shots were dropping like fly's And I'm not talking about with females in our locker room guys Women were whirlwinds in my eyes, I had plenty of free dates And I was teeming with skill so I didn't need any more team mates We raked in wins fast, it was thanks to what Phil Jackson did But the house that Kobe built would never be more than a Shaq to him At last we champed in 2000, they would sing different tunes here When we ringed in the new year with a ring in the new year Veered back to my rap roots, Sony's label wasn't into it My album 'Visions' was shelved for creative differences Fuck that industry, I reached new heights despite the pressure Plus I never thought I'd meet a woman like my wife Vanessa Then came two more titles to treasure, I played it off, so what? I loved the 'title' of father; the title of 'rapist'? Not so much... The Downfall Rep wiped away, it's obvious I denied the complaint Then they provided DNA so my story quietly changed She was 19 years of age, a desk clerk for a Lodge in Colorado Lipstick on my collar from that ho... I couldn't call her that though It WAS consensual, she liked it hard and I got carried away If she wasn't aware of my bank roll I wouldn't care to this day But the deep pitfalls of fame appear in the scariest ways The richer we are the bigger the target we apparently make I talked through my lawyers, this wouldn't be my last resort Was guilty of adultery nothing more, lost weight after the cop reports But don't let the facts mess up a good story, my passion was restored When I settled out of court just to keep active ON the court Nike sponsors helped of course, but people weren't buying my brand It got out of hand, I could've won NBA's most vilified man Threw an anti gay slur at a referee (fag), was fined 100 grand No problem, I understand... I can find 100 grand I'm what viewers demand, each news person on television proved worse I was less equipped than confirmed, I guess you live and you learn After my second daughter Gianna's birth, I set the standard through her To be the man you deserved, thus '07 began the U-turn... Redemption of a Legend Put #24 on my jersey, but they preferred me limping, old and bitter 2008 was better, I gave U.S. an Olympic gold medal Just to hold my head up, it seemed more envied me than before '09 brought my 4th NBA title and an MVP award Which afforded me the NBA 2k10 cover, no CGI fit My cheat code be widespread, just type in 'kobe bryant' No denying I'm a cheater, should've known what's in store for later 2011 cut my family ties, Vanessa filed the divorce papers I moved forward with the Lakers, I was considered more of a veteran Full steam ahead not hesitant, then came my 2nd gold medal win Reconciling with Vanessa helped me breathe, I needed a mamba mentality When my mom auctioned off all my things, it complimented Cali? Please Stopped the bleeding, often greedy families be selling off your prizes Said to hell with chartered flights and got my own helicopter pilot Another rich fella on an island, most don't support all my choices That of course flipped when I passed Jordan on the all-time points list Was annointed what I always wanted to claim, the God of this game But it was the age of braun over brains... then came Lebron James My tank was on empty, made 2016 my retirement tour My baby Bianca was born, I wanted to give all of my time to her Along with Natalia and Gianna; I had a stellar career If I didn't have the GOAT farewell year I wouldn't dare disappear My presence was feared, I lost a step but who can stop this? I delivered in every game as promised, then I put my stamp on it I stormed facilities with my born ability, but my form was killing me Robbin' wills like Mork & Mindy, sunk free throws with a torn achilles Lit up New York city, who doesn't think my fortune had filled me? After 680 million in salary and endorsements? ... Really? Not bad for a kid born in Philly; my jersey's flashing my heart The cry of the buzzer posts the final number, we're back at the start I took a stab in the dark to finally relax and depart You'll never see another Kobe Bryant, the living breathing statue of art... Dear Basketball I played 20 seasons now I'm asked to go pass the baton Seems no matter how long you practiced the show has to go on I'm just a man with no basketball, who could sense the coming disaster? My time was up faster than retired numbers in rafters I bent over backwards so both my jersey's were sold Sales increase if you throw my purple and gold shirt in the fold Amusingly my documentary 'Muse' was a blueprint to kids I supported women who weren't just raising the bar, but moving the rim I was an 18 time all-star but I still had a lot to give Gigi hit any basket on a whim, and never lacked in confidence So I would gladly ride the bench until she broke in the league She was as focused as me, my new passion was coaching her team Then I wrote a poem about the success and tragedy of sport Low and behold 'Dear Basketball' won the academy award Made the Mamba Academy to pay it forward, it's now the girls time I turned to a storyteller and writer to inspire children worldwide Created the Wizenard series, it was all about basketball magic Five children that believed in abilities to capture their passion Capri was my last kid; the final act you couldn't imagine I loved every second of the ride, but that crash shouldn't have happened... After Life: January 26th, 2020 I was just 41 when I passed, the best of me still hoped to be filled Thousands of pounds of rotors and steel made sure I'll never be over the hill Common sense said it's a flight we should've probably missed So what happened? God as my witness I don't have the foggiest It went down all so quick, the fall drew in all our breath Yet if it wasn't with my daughter and friends I'd do it all again Death is mightier than the pen, it's not the torture that life is I died with 300 mill in the bank, but to be immortal is priceless 800 pounds of fuel ignited, lucky the flames weren't witnessed We missed clearing the hill by 30 feet, life's a game of inches Never claimed that 6th ring, but you can bet I reached 7th heaven I half suspected you have to die to meet the status of legend That's all I asked of my profession, eventually the press can feed I guess it leaked... it seems to rest in peace was my destiny The tears are appreciated, I listen to every beautiful speech Just please remember all my attributes in all ya tributes to me Only the good die young, I was at a misunderstood age If you hear me say "GG", I'm not just muttering "good game" I'm talking to my daughter Gianna, she never stops hitting those fade's We couldn't have gone down in history together unless it was fate No one looks over an author's shoulder when there's a pen to the page After death ending's are saved, then we begin sending the praise But don't worry I'll be-oK like I was mixing my name If God invented more days they'd call me 24/8 Today's date's no mistake (2/4); thank you for the shot clock violations Y'all got time to waste but good luck finding my replacement No denying my inspiration, it means I'm staying atop the sport So to all friends and cohorts... now the ball's in your court Might not be top 4... Russell, Magic, Jabbar and Jordan But I'd be on basketball's Mount Rushmore if you counted one more in So before I say goodbye I'm crossing T's and dotting I's I cast a long shadow, I see it inside my daughters eyes I was a fast-Forward in my time, never stopped or left my prime And I left a legacy behind so you better press rewind But you might find it lonely if you try to clone me I'm one of a kind, ask anyone who might've known me I know time flies faster when you're alive and growing So I send my love to my family, friends and childhood homies And to all up and comers who line up single file below me... You'll find me in the sky high as nosebleeds... I Am Kobe.
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..Passed the Present and Future.. |
02-04-2020, 05:11 PM | #2 |
Badgerdick
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Fucking dope as ever.
Deserves archiving here IMO. Well done. |
02-05-2020, 07:44 PM | #3 |
............
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One of the best pieces I've read on any board...period.
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02-06-2020, 05:04 AM | #4 |
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This was amazingly thorough and I’m seriously at a loss for words. Not even gonna lie, I sent this piece to a few of my sports-fanatic friends, people who don’t nevessarily appreciate writing the way we do on here, and they were extremely moved. So thank you
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02-07-2020, 03:43 PM | #5 |
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bump. how is this getting slept on
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02-08-2020, 03:06 AM | #6 |
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dope. loved the final end rhymes
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02-10-2020, 11:43 PM | #7 |
White Earl
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This shit is craaaayyyyyyyyyz my dude. Shouts to sral-lars for shining light on this post. Brilliant man. Kobe is smiling down on this one. I think?
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02-11-2020, 04:33 AM | #8 |
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insane.
hof worthy |
02-11-2020, 08:47 AM | #9 |
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Jesus man. Props.
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02-11-2020, 08:51 AM | #10 |
Scream
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Universe, from upn?
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02-11-2020, 01:48 PM | #11 |
Everything's Connected
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..Passed the Present and Future.. |
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