18 pages • 36 minutes read
Kobe BryantDear Basketball
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Basketball as a Godlike Figure
In the poem, basketball symbolizes something all-powerful—it’s as if basketball is a godlike figure. The symbol doesn’t mean that Kobe Bryant doesn’t believe in God proper, or that basketball has pushed God aside. The link to God, or a god, is a way for Bryant to symbolize his deep, extensive relationship with basketball.
Based on history, God seems to call on certain people. The 17th-century English poet John Milton believed God called on him to help explain to the general public why Adam and Eve had to leave paradise (i.e., the Garden of Eden). In his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), Milton declares, “I may assert Eternal Providence, / And justify the ways of God to men” (Milton, John, Paradise Lost. G. Routledge, 1905).
Milton’s epic poem proves that he listened to God’s call, and Bryant’s poem (and his 20-year NBA career) proves that he obeyed basketball’s command. As the speaker says, “YOU called me” (Line 25). It’s as if Bryant had no choice in the matter. Like a god, basketball was too powerful to ignore. Explaining his choice to follow basketball’s orders, Bryant writes, “[T]hat’s what you do / When someone makes you feel as / Alive as you’ve made me feel” (Lines 27-29). Like God, basketball becomes Bryant’s focal point. He sacrifices for basketball and serves it with intense dedication. In the poem, basketball comes across as Bryant’s religion—it reigns supreme.
Running as Love’s Hard Work
The words “running” (Line 16) and “ran” (Lines 17, 18) appear three times in the poem, so running is a formidable symbol of hard work. Love isn’t easy or relaxing in this poem, but instead laborious. Bryant writes, “I never saw the end of the tunnel. I only saw myself / Running out of one” (Lines 14-16). Love lacks neat boundaries. There is no end, only continuous labor. Bryant adds, “And so I ran. I ran up and down every court / After every loose ball for you” (Lines 17-19). Running represents the exertion love requires. Love is demanding and keeps Bryant on the move. It’s as if basketball wants Bryant to constantly prove his love, and the only way for Bryant to do that is to run—work hard. The speaker tells basketball, “I played through the sweat and hurt” (Line 23). Running causes Bryant to sweat, and it leads to injuries. The hard work of love takes its toll on Bryant’s body, and after 20 years, it becomes impossible for him to continue putting his body through such extreme strain. The absence of running and hard work doesn’t mean that Bryant will stop loving basketball. He will “always” (Line 51) love basketball, but he can’t always physically demonstrate his dramatic love for basketball via running.
Fantasy and Reality
The motif of fantasy and reality supports the three major themes. The poem starts with a fantasy—Bryant “shooting imaginary / Game-winning shots” (Lines 4-5). As Bryant is six years old in this memory, he’s too young to play for the Lakers and in the real arena. Instead, he pretends. Later, his dream turns into reality, and he has the chance to make (and miss) game-winning shots for the Lakers in their arena and other arenas across the country as an NBA player. The fantasy bolsters his obsessive love. From an early age, basketball dominated Bryant. The idea of fantasy also underpins fate and destiny. The childhood image suggests it was Bryant’s destiny to play basketball. Inevitably, the fantasy turns into reality, and Bryant must deal with the reality of his body and the toll of playing professional basketball. It leads to numerous injuries, and after 20 seasons, Bryant has to let go. He must face reality: He can’t play basketball forever—his body won’t let him.
The idea of fantasy and reality creates a juxtaposition. Bryant sets his childhood imagination beside his pro career so readers can examine the difference. Yet it’s rather hard to compare them, as Bryant never provides a clear picture in the poem of his NBA career, aside from describing running up and down the court and after loose balls. Bryant made game-winning shots as a Laker in real-life, but those specific moments aren’t in the poem. It’s as if such professional accomplishments are secondary. What matters to Bryant is the realization of his childhood dream. There’s something pure about pretending to play for the Lakers as a kid. Bryant doesn’t challenge the wholesomeness with a particular highlight from his NBA career, which, as his biography demonstrates, was contentious.
