NBA rookie writes touching Kobe Bryant tribute after beating him
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is more than a really great basketball player. To an entire generation, he's an inspiring figure who captured their imagination and let them believe anything in this world is possible if they try, try, try again.
This might sound a bit hyperbolic to some, but it definitely applies to Indiana Pacers rookie Myles Turner. After playing against Bryant on Monday night, the 19-year-old posted this thank you letter on his website:
Thank you for inspiring me in ways that you’ll never understand or even know. Thank you for defying the odds coming out of high school and becoming one of the greatest players to ever play our beloved game Thank you for the countless hours of work you put in when the world wasn’t watching Thank you for letting me experience one of the most unforgettable games in my short-lived career thus far Thank you for the beauty in your struggle to get to where you’re at today Thank you for proving the doubters wrong And most importantly Mr.Bryant…. Thank you for your legacy
— Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) February 9, 2016
Turner is one of the league's legitimate rising stars. Over his past 10 games, the teenager is averaging 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and regularly doing stuff like this whenever he wants:
Obviously, it's cool to see how much he admires Bryant, one of the sport's all-time greats. Even better, it's really special that he now gets to tell his grandchildren about the time his Pacers took Bryant down.
The NBA is a very neat place.
