An Athlete’s Last Game — Not Everyone Gets a Kobe Farewell Tour

I dribble up the court blinking away tears — it’s my last professional game, and I’m going out a winner, but not like you think. This game was about pride. About sticking it to the man. My coach. I didn’t go out a champion, like I wanted to go out, hoisting a cup over my head and celebrating a title with a colossal bottle of Veuve Clicquot with the guys like last year.