After two decades of spectacular professional career in NBA, Kobe is playing his last game tomorrow Wednesday April 13th @ 12:30pm tip off Melbourne time. Lakers are hosting Utah Jazz at Staples Center, Los Angeles. I never admitted I was a hard core Kobe fan but I would probably not miss a game when he is on television. I watched his 81 points game live against Toronto 10+ years ago. ESPN went nuts with the highlights for the next week, even went as far as "Kobe alert" next few games that Kobe played following Toronto game. Everybody was probably thinking Kobe is on a roll and may score 100. The Black mamba was my inspiration at one point in life and especially when I started to play 3-on-3 basketball game with the boys, I wanted to score like him.
Me in the center in one of those 3-on-3 games
I have watched his game since 2001, my first year in US. His partnership with Shaq, Lakers mini-rivalry games against Houston Rockets when Yao Ming was playing. Then the championships. First time, 3 in a row and second time 2 in a row.
My only visit to his Home Court, Staples Center, in 2009
This was Kobe's career and his achievements with Lakers in 2 decades. I am probably the same age as Kobe with half as much time spent in pro career as him. I have considered Solar the 2nd phase of my career (just like Kobe's after Shaq's departure); the phase that will make me more mature, outspoken, and eventually grow old. Sales was the last thing in my mind before I took this job 2 months ago. Talking to strangers everyday and selling them stuff is no easy feat and equally terrifying. If you fear something, attack it. Scared of heights, go skydiving. Scared of water, learn to swim. Scared of talking to a stranger, be a salesman. That's been the philosophy of my life.
