Dear Kobe,
You used to be my favorite NBA player. I drank Sprite, not because I liked it (it's just okay), but because you endorsed it and I liked you. I tried the McDonald's Big 'n Tasty burger, not only because I love burgers, but also because you really seemed to like it in that commercial you shot for McDonald's (the Big 'n Tasty, by the way, is delicious). I watched your games religiously, not just because my dad is the biggest Lakers fan I know, but because I looked forward to watching you play.
Then, in 2003, you made a mistake. A big one. You let your family down. You let your fans down. You cried on national television. You lost your endorsements. And you lost my support.
Slowly but steadily, you began to repair your image. You changed your attitude. You changed your outlook. I remember watching how you handled yourself at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. You really had matured.
I just watched you and the rest of the Lakers beat the Nuggets in Denver. The game wasn't perfectly executed, but you guys managed to pick up a win. At the end of the game, you looked absolutely exhausted. You played your heart out, and it showed.
You're an excellent basketball player -- the whole world knows that. It's still hard for me to accept that you were involved in such a messy situation, but I'm doing my best. It seems that you have found a way to turn your life around, and it seems that those who were personally affected by your mistake have found a way to move forward, too.
Congratulations on a game well played.
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