A Letter To Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant,

May 20^th, 2000: the series that will forever live in infamy started. It was the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Your Lakers went up three games to one. Our Blazers, however, were not done yet as game five and six would go to Portland. Setting up a game seven that will never be forgotten. Portland was up 15 points headed into the fourth quarter. I remember talking to my friend Adam on the phone after the third quarter had ended. We had already began to celebrate, our conversation ended just as the fourth quarter was about to start. Adam said, “Call me if we win” to which I confidently replied, “I will call you after we win.” Needless to say, Adam and I didn’t speak again that night.

You will say your Lakers won that game. We know that’s not the case. Portland missed 13 consecutive field goal attempts in that fourth quarter. Bleacher Report has that game as number four on a list of the worst officiated NBA games of all time. Your Lakers had 37 free throw attempts to our Blazers’ 16 attempts. Arvydas Sabonis fouled out as did Scottie Pippen; they were responsible with holding you and Shaquille O’Neal in check. If I sound bitter, it’s because I am. This series was supposed to lead us to a ring for the first time in over 30 years. Instead, it propelled you to your first ring and marked the beginning of yet another Laker dynasty.

Kobe, we hate you. Even Nike realizes this. In your farewell commercial titled, “The Conductor,” you are depicted making a game winner against Portland. Even Rasheed Wallace makes an appearance, in Blazers gear, letting you know how much you are hated by us. With all of this said, one night in your 20 year career, even we rooted for you. Last night, Portland had nothing to play for as the fifth seed was already locked up. This meant our attention, like the world, was on you. No farewell ever was quite like this one. Tribute after tribute, a shoe release, commercials and Lakers fan doing their best Blazers fan impersonation by showing up early to the Staples Center. We were happy to see you go for 60 points last night. Even though secretly, we hope your retirement sparks a run of many bad Lakers teams to come, we wish you farewell. Let me speak on behalf of all Blazers fans when I say, “We hate you Kobe, but even we will miss you.”

Sincerely,

Rip City