Dear Kobe

Dear Kobe, 

I've been looking at old pictures to see all the different Kobe's I've worn and it's over 15 pairs! To be honest, I initially bought a pair because I thought it would actually help  me get buckets like you but since then I've haven't worn any other brand in a game.

It's been a week since you've left us and it's still hard to accept the fact that you're gone. You were the reason so many of us picked up a basketball but you gave us more than that. Through basketball, you gave me a sense of belonging during times I didn't feel "American" enough because of the way I spoke, looked, smelled. As the son of immigrant parents, basketball was an outlet for me to express myself but also feel no different from anyone else as a player on the court. It gave me the confidence to be comfortable in my own skin and overtime be proud to be an Asian-American baller. It gave me my best friends til this day and connected me with others from different backgrounds who shared the same love of the game. 

The part of basketball you made me love was being able to see the hard work I put into the game pay dividends on the court. To me, it was the American Dream without all the institutional/social barriers in place. If you put in the work, you could become a good basketball player regardless of your physical attributes or background. I carried that same mentality with me to the classroom, gym, and wherever I went. I recognize now it was the mamba mentality you instilled in so many people, including me. It was the reason I lived by certain mantras like "Grind all day till the fam ok" or "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard" or my personal favorite during workouts. "What hurts more: the pain of hard work or the pain or regret?" Thanks for showing us it's cool to give 110% effort every game. Thanks for showing us it's okay to play the game with emotion. Thanks for being the voice in my head to never give up and never surrender. And lastly, thanks for proudly representing the city of LA and being in our lives your entire career.

I miss you already but you'll always be a part of me picking my feet up off the ground.

Tim Y. Ahn