Nyuma y’imyaka 20 muri NBA, Kobe Bryant yasezeye

Kobe Bryant uzwi ku kazina ka “The Black Mamba”, mu myaka 20 amaze akinira ikipe ya Los Angeles Lakers akayifasha gutwara ibikombe bitanu bya Shampionat ya NBA kuri iki cyumweru yatangaje ko asezeye. Yanditse ati “iyi sizeni (saison) niyo nsigaje kubahamo ibyo mfite.”

Mu nkuru isa n’umuvugo yanditse ku gitangazamakuru y’abakinnyi ba NBA kitwa ‘The Players’ Tribune’ yawise “Dear Basketbal” yanditse ati “wahaye umuhungu w’imyaka itandatu indoto, nzahora mbigukundira.

Ariko sinagukunda bikabije kurenza kuri ibi. Iyi sizeni niyo nsigaranye kuguha ibyo mfite. Umutima wanjye wari ugishoboye gutera, Intekerezo zanjye zari zigishoboye guhangana ariko umubiri wanjye niwo uzi ko ari igihe cyo gusezeraho.

Nta kundi…Niteguye kukureka.”

Byron Scott Umutoza wa LA Lakers yari yabaye nk’uvuga iby’iyi nkuru mbere y’umukino kuri iki cyumweru bari bafite na Indiana Pacers, ko iki cyamamare kizasoza uyu mukino iyi sizeni irangiye.

Kuri uyu mukino wa nijoro, Bryant yatsinzemo amanota 13 gusa Lakers iwutsindwa ku manota 103 ku 107 ya Pacers. Inshuro ya gatandatu batsinzwe bikurikiranya.

Kobe ntabwo yatunguranye, kuko mu cyumweru gishize yashushaga n’uvuga ko iyi sizeni izaba iye ya nyuma. Nyuma y’imyaka 20 ahatana, imidari ibiri ya Zhabu mu mikino olimpiki, ibikombe bitanu bya shampionat, inshuro 17 muri All Star Games, amanota 81 mu mukino umwe amugira uwa kabiri watsinze amanota menshi mu mukino umwe mu mateka ya NBA, ndetse n’amanota 32 000 aruhukanye…nta kabuza ko igihe cye cyari kigeze ngo aruhuke.

Ni umugabo ureshya na 1,98m n’ibiro hafi 100, ni umugabo uzwiho guhama hamwe, akiri muto cyane yashimwe n’ikipe ya Charlotte Hornets ariko agiye kubigira umwuga yinjira mu ikipe ya LA Lakers kuva mu 1996.

Afite imyaka 21 yabengutse umukobwa w’imyaka 17 witwa Vanessa Laine mu 2001 bararushinze, ababyeyi ba Kobe n’abavandimwe be ntibitabira ubukwe bwe kuko ngo batashakaga ko arongora akiri muto kandi akarongora umuzungukazi. Biberaho badakunda ko urugo rwabo rujya mu itangazamakuru nk’abandi ba star benshi ba NBA. Ubu bafitenya abana babiri b’abakobwa.

Kobe Bryant ni umwe mu bakinnyi bazaranga amateka ya Basketball ku isi, ni igihangange cyabaye urungero n’ikitegererezo ku bakinnyi benshi ba Basketball ku isi no mu Rwanda.

Azahora yibukwa mu kibuga nk’umukinnyi udasanzwe muri Basketball.

Umuvugo wa Kobe wo gusezera Basketball

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

UM– USEKE.RW