8 things I'll miss about Kobe Bryant

Truly timelessAs Lakers fans trickled into Staples Center with the Lakers ready to face off against the Pacers, they were handed a glossy paper in a sealed black envelope. It was from Kobe, and it ended with "Thank you for this incredible journey."The question had been on everyone's mind, and this letter laid it to rest. I accept that it's his time, but the "Thank you"? No. Kobe doesn't get that last word. This is the last shot, with time running out, few games left on his clock, and he has the last word: thank you. Thanks, but no thanks Kobe. Let us thank you instead.Let the millions playing pickup ball adorning #8 or #24 thank you for sharing your fire with us. A candle burns and shares its light, but burn it does. And burn Kobe did. He burned the candle at both ends, cut it in 8 pieces and burnt it at all 16 ends, collected the wax and blew it into shape again to burn it into melted, molten wax again.And with scalding hands reshaped it, making it just a bit stronger, just a little tougher each time. From a lanky teen to the Colossus of the Los Angles Lakers, from 0 to 32,683 points as of today. He symbolized iron will and unshakable determination, while blazing his way in a near unanimous position as among the top ten players to ever play the game, perhaps top five depending on whom you ask. After 20 seasons though, even legends must cross over from land to lore. Here are 8 things I'll miss the most about the legend who adorned #8

#8 The love

Left: Kobe smiles after defeating the Jazz in 1997. Right: Kobe smiles after sinking a 3 in the clutch.

Heres what Jordan told Kobe on his decision to retire : 'Just enjoy it. No matter what, just enjoy it. Don't let anybody take that away from you, no matter what happens, good or bad. Enjoy it, man. He need not have worried.

After the Lakers were eliminated by the Jazz in 1997, the next seasons opener had those two teams square off. Kobe came up big in clutch and made a small step towards vindicating his airballs. He later said To the veterans that game didnt mean anything, just a regular season game. Not to me though.

That was in 1997. Two days ago the Lakers faced the Pacers and with the Lakers down by 4 Kobe hit a 3 with 10 seconds left to give them a fighting chance. Even though they lost, he gave Staples Center yet another Mamba moment to cherish. The man with 5 rings is tickled to death over a regular season game. Look at the two moments above, which are seemingly inconsequential games. See if you can gauge his motivation. The truth is plain to see

He loves the game.

#7 The imitation

The shoulder fake. The fadeaway. Michael Jordan was asked which player among the current generation would stand a chance to beat him one on one. He said he could beat LeBron, but Kobe would stand a chance since he stole all of Jordan's moves.

Stole, is perhaps too harsh a word. Imitation is after all, the sincerest form of flattery. The first game those two faced off, Kobe and Jordan were standing near the half line, and Kobe asked him how he feels the defense behind him when he posts up. Jordan told him to use his legs to know where the D is set.

That was one of the innumerable nuances of basketball which Kobe absorbed from the great players who came before him. It will be some time before we see someone as dedicated at absorbing the best facets of the game of the legends before him.

#6 The trash talk

"That ain't no triangle. That's a effin square."- Kobe taunted Spike Lee, long time Knicks fan, deriding the Knicks' offense which had no success with attempting to imitate the triangle offense, made sacrosanct by Phil Jackson. Kobe is the master of trash talking. He can be in your face, subtle, vicious, humorous, as the situation calls for. And most importantly, he backed it up with his game.

How about when Marc Cuban suggested that the Lakers should consider the amnesty provision on Kobe, and his response was to drop 38 points on Cubans team, the Mavericks? Post which he simply tweeted: Amnesty THAT.

Those are concise. Heres something more fluid and visceral.Kobe's recent seasons are seen as an exercise in futility by many pundits. The Lakers don't have a shot at making the playoffs in the Western Conference gauntlet.

They have two players in Nick Young and Lou Williams who are just good enough to merit time on the court, and both possess horrendous shot selection. If that's not bad enough, they tried to trash talk to Kobe. The epic rant he went on still echoes in that practice facility.

#5 The perspiration

Few individuals have demanded more of their body, mined so deep in their mind for that extra inch, fixated so intensely on focusing on one single-minded ambition: to be better than the best there ever was.

Kobe has come as far on that journey as a basketball player as any other human being ever has.He truly filled each unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run.

Jerry West said:"His fierce, competitive drive was innate, could not be purchased on the street or in a store or anywhere. You need to possess more than a little nastiness to play basketball at the highest level, and Kobe had that in abundance. You need to have the cold-bloodedness of an assassin, and he possessed that, too."

There are urban legends about his work ethic. That he propped a gym door open with a sock to sneak into practice. The time he took a midnight 40-mile cycle ride through a desert. "We finished up around 2 a.m." Kobe's trainer Tim Grover said. "And we were back in the gym working out by 7:30 in the morning.The time he started shooting at 3:30 AM and finished his workout at 11, just in time for Team USA practice to begin.

Take a look at a compilation of such gems. It has got to the point that if anyone invents a harebrained far-fetched story about Kobes workouts, it will always be plausible.

#4 The lone gunslinger

Im taking 45 shots a game. What was I supposed to do, pass the ball in to Chris Mihm? Chris Mihm?, pondered Kobe.

Ask and you shall receive, or so we are told to believe. The world is yours for the taking, if only you ask. For instance, if you spoke to a Japanese in the latter half of the 20th century, and politely asked for Kobe, he'd hand you a slice of Kobe beef or direct you to a restaurant. A beef so tasty, a kid was named after it.

There aren't many who can stupendously outshine the person or object they are named after. Growing up in Italy, he found himself asking for the world. What set him apart though, was that he didn't settle for asking. He caught life by the scruff of the collar, while grimacing like so, and shook it down for all it was worth.

His entire persona mirrored that of the Man with No Name portrayed by Clint Eastwood, the ultimate lone gunslinger. He outshone the legends before him, or came as close as possible to doing so by being a cold blooded assassin who always believed that the next shot is gonna be good, regardless of the misses.

I gave up hoping he would change his approach 15, 18 years ago, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said. He is what he is. And Im thankful for it.

No other player over the last decade had an itchier trigger finger. And he connected and sent shivers down the spines of his opponents.

#3 The inspiration

One of the best basketball brains ever(picture credit: Walter Looss Jr).

The faithful can see God in a drop of water. Not speaking of those who see Jesus' face on a toast, but a true believer can draw inspiration from anything and everything in the surroundings.

A true devotee of the sport of basketball can draw inspiration from various walks of life to chisel their game into a better shape. Take a cheetah chasing a deer for instance. The scientist will observe Darwin's law in effect.

The religious man will say a prayer for the deer while conceding sagely that we must all one day meet our maker. Kobe, on the other hand, could probably teach you something about basketball from watching a plant grow.

Take a gander at what he has to say about learning from a cheetah, Kobe:" When you watch me shoot my fadeaway jumper, you'll notice my leg is always extended. I had problems making that shot in the past. It's tough. So one day I'm watching the Discovery Channel and see a cheetah hunting. When the cheetah runs, its tail always gives it balance, even if it's cutting a sharp angle. And that's when I was like: My leg could be the tail, right?"

Me personally, I just observe a mammal wagging its tail as it salivates towards main course. But that's a true believer for you. Always hungry, always watchful for the next stimulus to gain an edge over the opponent. I'm going to miss these quirky insightful nuggets of wisdom.

#2 The resilience

To me what stands out the most in his illustrious career is not the 81-point game or any of his numerous accolades. I feel that the 1997 playoff series vs the Utah Jazz played a pivotal role in shaping him.

With the Jazz leading the Western Conference finals 3-1 in a best of 7 series, Kobe came up short in the most agonizing way. He shot 4 airballs, one to end the regulation and three in overtime, each more successively deflating than the previous. By all standards he ought to have faded into mediocrity. His teammates ought to have met his colossal missteps with derision. Yet one could see Shaq with his arm around Kobe.

Shaq said "You know what, you might have shot four airballs. See all these people in here laughing at you. Just remember that when we meet these guys next year then just hit it." He added "Youve got to remember stuff like that. I wasnt upset that he shot those airballs. He was the only one with enough guts to shoot the ball.

His teammates followed suit. His performance didn't merit such understanding, his character did. His teammates were well aware that no one words could be more derisive than the ones he himself had pounding in his skull.Byron Scott commented: "You either grow up big time like he did or you don't--there no in between as far as I'm concerned. Kobe was special. Even at 18 years old, you knew the kid was going to be special."

Heres what Kobe did. "We flew back to LA that night at 3 in the morning, I went down to the high school down the street from my house, and I shot. All. Day. Long."- said Kobe. Few players bounce back from that kind of a setback. The Mamba is one of those few.

#1 The pride

"If you don't feel the injury, it won't get in the way. Because it's not important to you.- Kobe.

It is one thing to get back up when you fall down. Its one thing to get up when you've been knocked down. Its a whole different thing to tear your Achilles tendon and still stand tall. In Kobe's words: "Its like the shock absorbers in the back of your foot are gone (claps his hands). There is nothing there. Feels like your calf muscles touching the floor. I could feel it roaming up the back of my calf as if it was slipping up further and further."

Three games left in the regular season, Lakers' playoff hopes hanging in the balance.With 5 minutes left Kobe hits a 3 to bring the Lakers to107-104. And then another three to tie it at 107. This was a must win game for the Lakers, and on his last breath, on his last legs, he chose to stay in and push the Lakers into the postseason.

Then hisAchillesgave out. We see Hall of Fame athletes get carried away on lesser injuries. Not Kobe. He walked from the bench to the free throw line with a quiet dignity, with tears in his eyes, he sank two free throws and limped back to the locker room. He didn't ask for a wheelchair. Let that sink in. He made two free throws after tearing hisAchilles to help push the Lakers past the Warriors. This kind of pride is a rare breed. Watching him you believe that you can stand up tall, even if your leg gives out you can prop it up by sheer force of will.