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Dear basketball, from the moment I started rolling my dad's tube socks

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and shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum,

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I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you.

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A love so deep I gave you my all, from my mind and body to my spirit and soul.

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As a six-year-old boy, deeply in love with you,

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I never saw the end of the tunnel. I only saw myself running out of one.

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And so I ran. I ran up and down every court, after every loose ball for you.

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You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream. And I'll always love you for it.

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But I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give.

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My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind.

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But my body knows it's time to say goodbye.

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And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go. Love you always, Kobe.

Dear Basketball

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