Dear Basketball

致我最愛的籃球

Dear Basketball,

親愛的籃球：

From the moment I started rolling my dad's tube socks

自第一次穿上老爸的筒襪

And shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum

想象自己在大西部論壇球館投進制勝球

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

我便確信：我深深地愛上你了

A love so deep I gave you my all --

愛你，故愿為你傾其所有--

From my mind and body

從我的心靈到我的身體

to my spirit and soul

從我的精神到我的靈魂

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

那六歲的男孩，深深地愛著你

I never saw the end of the tunnel

卻從未想過這段旅程結束時的樣子

I only saw myself running out of one

只見自己不停奔跑的身影

And so I ran

所以我不停地奔跑

I ran up and down every court

我來回奔跑于每個球場

After every loose ball for you

為你去追逐每一個爭搶球

You asked for my hustle

你讓我盡力拼搏

I gave you my heart

我便奉上我的心

Because it came with so much more

因為這需要的不僅僅是盡力

I played through the sweat and hurt

我打球流盡血汗，落下一身傷病

Not because challenge called me

不是因為“挑戰”呼喚我

But because YOU called me

而是你呼喚我

I did everything for YOU

我所做的一切都是為了你

Because that's what you do when someone makes you feel as alive as you've made me feel

若有人賦予你生命，正如你賦予我活力，你亦會為其全力以赴

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream

你給了一個六歲男孩湖人夢

And I'll always love you for it

為此我將永遠愛你

But I can't love you obsessively for much longer

但我再也無法繼續這般迷戀你了

This season is all I have left to give

這個賽季已是我所能給的僅有

My heart can take the pounding

我的心還能承受住打擊

My mind can handle the grind

我的意志還能經受磨難

But my body knows it's time to say goodbye

但我的身體知道：是時候說再見了

And that's OK

這無妨

I'm ready to let you go

我已經準備好了放手

I want you to know now so we both can savor every moment we have left together

我希望你現在就明白，如此我們便可一起盡情享受余下的每一刻時光

The good and the bad

不論歡喜，還是悲傷

We have given each other all that we have

我們已經給了彼此能給的所有

And we both know, no matter what I do next

我們都知道，不管我接下來會去做什么

I'll always be that kid

我都還會是那個孩子

With the rolled up socks

穿著筒襪

Garbage can in the corner

瞄準墻角的垃圾筒

5 seconds on the clock, ball in my hands. 5,4,3,2,1

手捧籃球，倒計時5秒。5，4，3，2，1。

Love you always

愛你，至死不渝

Kobe

科比