On a recent day, Deepa, a friend who is a doctor and an exemplary artist was sweet enough to tag me in an Emily Dickenson Fans post that read — ‘If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry.’ Today, there is another poem, Dear Basketball, written by the late Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, that has come alive, yet again.
The words that his heart spoke, a tribute for the love and dedication for the sport and the line — ‘But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer’, has been breaking hearts. The words have turned so many hearts so cold that no fire can warm them!
I must confess that it was this poem, and not his game, that had caught my attention back in the year of his retirement. It shocked me that an NBA star could bow at the altar of his game enough to compose a poem in farewell. His words piqued my curiosity and on the other side of knocking at Google’s door, I was an instant fan, mesmerised by the fact that he had inspired many with his dedication to being the best in his game as much as with his words.
In the words of Kobe Bryant, ‘We’re not on this stage because of talent or ability. We’re up here because we had a dream and let nothing stand in our way. If anything tried to bring us down, we used it to make us stronger.’
The children had their Annual Athletic Meet at school. The excitement gripped by the competitive fever, the loud cheers, the smiles of victory and the warmth of sportsmanship lightening the weight of losses reminded me of sports day back in my school. What remains unchanged is the fact that back then I stood on the fringes of the expansive field cheering for my friends while today I stand on the fringes cheering for my children and their friends.
The parents who stood alongside and those who participated in the parents’ races claim that I have got very good at it. While I was not cheering, I drank into my surroundings, curiously observing the preparation, the anticipation and the thrill that went into tasting victory and standing up on the podium as a winner or standing down — gracious in loss — head held high and cheering for the competitor’s win.
Most of these children were those who had been sweating it out and training early mornings all year round while the rest of us were locked in dreamland in our cosy beds.
The parents who stood tall and basked under the glory of their children’s wins were those who had themselves sacrificed a few hours of sleep or the joys of a restful weekend to ensure that their young athletes carried with them a healthy meal before dropping them off to training sessions, encouraging them when their drive weakened or their training slackened and supporting and standing by them to help them get up after every fall.
My athletic prowess has only reached as far as attempting to jog around the community park to keep the scales from tipping too far or using Google to be able to keep up with the sport-addicted badminton player and two other budding players with whom I share a roof, but I know that sport is a harsh teacher that tests your physical and mental strength, perseverance and dedication before you can earn your winner’s cup.
In the words of Kobe Bryant, ‘We’re not on this stage because of talent or ability. We’re up here because we had a dream and let nothing stand in our way. If anything tried to bring us down, we used it to make us stronger.’
And that is what makes a legend!
— Pranitha Menon is a freelance writer based in Dubai. Twitter: @MenonPranitha
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