【篮球，吾爱】

儿时著戎装，
梦里射天狼。
问我心所系，
惟此大球场。*1

一见知吾爱，
再见倾吾情。
我亦无所有，
所有惟吾身。

垂髫六龄童，
专情十载梦。
再见少年已十八，
从此江湖更无涯。

好马不停蹄，
百战无旦夕。
我心从吾爱，
汗血裹铁衣。

吾爱与吾身，
从此不可分。
汝复何所求，
夜夜见吾心。

童年湖人梦，
一世儿女情。
儿女情且长，
好马力已尽。

不怨廿载苦，
梦捐七尺躯。
我本马革裹尸还，
谁敢锦衣道别离？

吾爱，别兮！
聚散终有日，
别时须尽欢。

将军百战归，
明日不可期。
沙场廿年勇，
湖人一小儿。*2
儿时著戎装，
梦里射天狼。
吾爱在吾手，
五……四……三……二……一。

致吾爱·科比

注：
*1：Great Western Forum是湖人队最早的球馆“西部论坛大球场”。
*2：“儿”在此读“ni”第二声。

Dear Basketball,

From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

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.
We have given each other
All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always, Kobe