Kobe Bryant from a Warriors Fan’s Perspective

Kobe Bryant will make his last appearance at Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors. Over the years, Bryant has put on performances of a lifetime against the Warriors and inspired even the most ardent Warriors fans.

Kobe Bryant will suit up in the purple and yellow in Oracle Arena just one more time.

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Even typing that feels weird. It always felt like he’d be there. But Father Time is undefeated. And instead of making fun of him–which I have done a lot over the last few years–it is time to honor him. After the final buzzer sounds on the Lakers’ last game, Kobe Bryant’s illustrious basketball career will be over. And there will never be another.

Kobe–and I call him by his first name because he’s earned it–is one of the greatest players to ever step on a basketball court. That’s a fact. He’s a basketball icon. Regardless of how much help he had, five championships is still five championships. He was one of the most ruthless competitors to play basketball and, despite how much I disliked him for dominating the Warriors, it was a joy to watch him play.

I don’t care who you are or who you support, every time you shoot a piece of trash into a wastebasket, you yell out “Kobe!”

Growing up in the Bay Area during the time of Kobe’s greatness, you or someone close to you had a no.24 (or 8 if they were old school) jersey hanging in their closet. And they waited for the Warriors and Lakers to face each other to bring it out and damn near every time they had bragging rights. Kobe averaged 27.6 points against the Warriors throughout his career, tied with Portland for the highest against any team. Oracle Arena is the best arena in basketball, filling up with loyal Warriors fans every night. Except when the Lakers came into town. Then the crowd was mixed with Kobe fans taking over.

It also didn’t help that every time the two teams came together or when Kobe was standing on top of the basketball world there was the painful reminder of Todd Fuller, selected two picks before the Mamba. It doesn’t hurt as much now that we finally have our transcendent player in Stephen Curry, but it stung for a long time. It may never completely heal–the “What ifs?” will always be there–but I think Warriors fans are ready to move on.

I think, at our core, all of us are Kobe fans. Whether we know it or not. I have spent a lot of time debating and discussing why Kobe Bryant is overrated and I still believe it. If I’m building a team, I’m probably taking a prime LeBron James over Kobe, but that’s not the point. You can dislike Kobe the man or resent how he made your team look foolish, but you do have to respect the Hall of Fame player.

I don’t care who you are or who you support, every time you shoot a piece of trash into a wastebasket, you yell out “Kobe!” It’s instinct. And that’s where Kobe’s true greatness lies. His numbers and true on-court value can be debated for years, but his off-court legacy is undeniable. Kobe Bryant has inspired generations of fans to love and obsess over the game of basketball. The way he approaches the game and talks about the game is obsessive and poetic. Every move is calculated, every word well-thought out.

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Kobe is a student of the game. He has done what we all do at the playground on a regular basis. We go out there and we try to copy the greats–whether it be a Michael Jordan fadeaway or a Dream Shake. Kobe did that too, but on the highest level. That’s admirable. Kobe is my favorite example of how education doesn’t equal intelligence because he is one of the most intelligent, insightful professionals I have seen in any line of work.

Thank you, Kobe.

Thank you for dropping our jaws over the years even if it was at the cost of our favorite team. Thank you for going toe-to-toe with Antawn Jamison and Jason Richardson and Stephen Curry. Thank you for teaching us that the seemingly impossible is possible. I’m glad that Prime Kobe will never break our hearts again. And I admit, I have made fun of Kobe. A lot. Watching Kobe over the last few years went from fun to sad. Kobe Bryant daggers were nothing compared to the pain of watching a once-great competitor fail miserably. Kobe is a shell of what he once was and it has hurt to watch.

Surely, Oracle Arena will have many fans in Kobe Bryant jerseys tonight, but it will be completely filled with those that appreciate the Black Mamba’s greatness.

Appreciate it, guys. There won’t be another like him. Thank you.