Kobe Bryant on His Retirement Poem, Regrets and Best Competitors in the League

Kobe Bryant is definitely an icon and living legend. Some would even go as far as to say that he is the Michael Jordan of our time. This past Sunday, Bryant decided to make the leap and retire from professional basketball after his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant chose a path less traveled to reveal his retirement. Instead of releasing a statement through his publicist or holding a news press conference, NY Times reports he released fifty-two lines of poetry instead.

A photo posted by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Apr 6, 2015 at 9:14pm PDT

Bryant who is only 37 and is listed in the top ten world's highest-paid athletes with a net worth of more than $320 million. He has had a career most every basketball players strives to obtain. So, the news about his decision was felt across the world.

His poem, however, has been criticized by both poets and college professors. "It's not the worst poem I've ever read," said poet and Professor Twemlow of Coe College.

Since poetry is never high on the totem pole in conversation, some have praised Bryant for bringing poetry mainstream again, even if it was just for the moment.

The NY Times reports, "One thought I had initially, without even seeing it, is that it'll be the most widely disseminated poem of the last decade or in recent history," said Jane Yeh, a poet and lecturer at the Open university in Milton, England. "No one reads poetry."

Twemlow tells the Times, "His poem is sort of strange missing any kind of human begins. He's anthropomorphizing basketball. It's the only person in his life."

One of his teammates, Shaq, can surely attest to that statement. Global Grind reported on Bryant's interview on TNT's Ernie Johnson where he discussed his greatest competitors, his favorite championship ring and even regretting the sour relationship he has with Shaq now.

Bryant released his poem through The Players Tribune (where you can read it in its entirety). After reading, tell us your thought on his verse.

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 / gave you my heart / Because it came with so much more.

.@TurnerSportsEJ sat down with a candid @kobebryant. Listen to the exclusive interview here. https://t.co/I7XBPE5O3i — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 4, 2015