在职业生涯的第20个赛季，洛杉矶湖人队科比-布莱恩特正式宣布他将在本赛季结束之后退役。为此科比宣布退役,写给篮球的一封信《Dear Basketball》让我们感受科比对篮球的无比的热爱。
科比退役告别信《Dear Basketball》原文+优美译文：
译者：雒金凤（Joy） @高斋翻译TransElegant
Dear Basketball：
亲爱的篮球：
From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
自第一次穿上父亲的筒袜，
And shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum
想象自己在大西部论坛球馆投进制胜球时，
I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you.
我便确信：我深深地爱上了你。
A love so deep I gave you my all —
深爱，便为你倾其所有——
From my mind & body，to my spirit & soul.
我的心灵、我的身体、我的精神，以及我的灵魂。
As a six-year-old boy，deeply in love with you,
六岁时，深深地钟情于你，
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
却从未见隧道尽头的一抹曙光，
I only saw myself running out of one.
只见自己不停奔跑的身影。
And so I ran. I ran up and down every court,
所以我不断奔跑，在每个球场来回奔跑，
After every loose ball for you.
为了你，去追逐每一个争抢球，
You asked for my hustle，
你渴望我尽力拼搏，
I gave you my heart,
我便全心待你，
I played through the sweat and hurt
我带着伤痛打球，汗流浃背，
Not because challenge called me
不是因 “挑战”呼唤我，
But because YOU called me.
而是你在呼唤。
I did everything for YOU
我做的一切都是为了你，
Because that’s what you do when someone makes you feel as alive as you’ve made me feel.
你令我活力四射，若有一人同样让你富有生命感，你亦会为其全力以赴。
You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
你赐予了一个六岁男孩湖人梦，
And I’ll always love you for it.
我会因此而永远爱你。
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
但我再无法继续这般迷恋你了，
This season is all I have left to give.
这个赛季，将是最后一程。
My heart can take the pounding， My mind can handle the grind
我的心灵还能承受住打击，我的心态还能处理磨难。
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.
但我的身体知道，是时候说再见了。
And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know now so we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad.
这无妨。我已经准备好让你离开了，我希望你现在就知道，如此我们便可尽情享受余下的每一刻在一起的时光，不管好与坏。
And we both know, no matter what I do next,
我们都知道，不管接下来我做什么，
I’ll always be that kid
我永远是那个孩子，
With the rolled up socks，garbage can in the corner
穿着筒袜，瞄准墙角的垃圾筒。
:05 seconds on the clock，ball in my hands
倒计时5秒，球在我手。
5，4， 3，2，1
Love you always,
爱你，至死不渝！
Kobe
科·布。
科比退役讲话......
