I hit the gym tonight Over at 24 Hour Fitness As I went to grab a locker Odd behavior I did witness Among the wall of lockers End caps were out of space If I grabbed one in the middle Would I remember the place? I immediately scanned for locker numbers Placed at the top of every door The two first numbers that came to mind? Were 8 and 24 Not a birth month And not a birth year Jerseys #'s of a hometown athlete That had that extra gear That for 20 fleeting and glorious years Of maniacal work and perspiration Provided millions of worldwide fans Countless memories and inspiration Love him or hate him Or anywhere in between There's no denying the impact Of the one and only Kobe Bean Like my Dad loved Mickey's #7 And some cherished 32 or 23 How can you explain these random numbers That are now ingrained in me? You might not be a superhero And you might not be a god But whenever I see numbers 8 or 24 I will tip my hat and nod You have my deepest respect Kobe For your drive and dedication For many stretches of my life Basketball was my medication Witnessing you play Was like watching poetry in motion Several times a game You had me bursting with emotion. I never knew when And I never knew how But if I dared to turn my eyes away I'd risk missing that moment that made me say wow Schedules were changed And altered were plans So I could watch you play live With millions of other fans Clock counting down And I'm holding my breath This ending inching near Feels kind of like a death These final moments I savor As almost a granted favor When you bust out your old unstoppable moves To give NBA youngins one last flash or flavor Of what we've experienced for years Causing opponents fans' tears The joy of hard fought victory The toast of frosty beers You've given all you had I can't ask any more But I will always smile when I realize You made my favorite numbers 8 and 24
Thank for this. It picks me up from a rough week. The sentiment, the rhythm and authenticity. I did have to look out in case some sarcasm was gonna kick me in the pants, but I really liked this dedication. I never thought I could appreciate a player more than Magic, then came Kobe. He got me back to playing basketball later in life, and has been an inspiration in effort and dedication on and off the court. He is the reason why I learnt to shoot left and right handed (I am naturally left handed) and his language skills inspire me to brush up on my French. It is hot under that spotlight and at time his negatives have overshadowed his many many positives. Kobe is tougher than me, but I don't have his medical insurance plans salary if I got injured. What I always enjoyed was the duality of a cerebral player, who at times was too stubborn to not get the flashy points or take the hard shot just to talk trash over the player who had been "trying" to guard him. His genuine regard for Fisher, Gasol, Odom, Ariza and Artest to name a few shows Kobe is not a monster except on the court. I will never get to see him play live, but memories of sports bars, computers and tv screens still have some of those treasured moments. The true close to his career were those two free throws after that career finishing injury. Damn it Kobe, I will miss you as you ride off to the next and longer chapter of the rest of your life.
I've committed to rhyme Until up is Byrons time How his numbers have affected me is fun But there's no way I'm the only one Awake thee from thy slumber! Share your story of his number
