« How do empires last when there’s no longer an emperor? » Dans l’empire Los Angeles, les stars en tous genres sont légion. Pourtant, peu de personnalités incarnent la cité des Anges aussi bien que Kendrick Lamar. Et comme tout bon kid de L.A., K-Dot a grandi au rythme des exploits des Lakers et de son empereur depuis vingt ans, Kobe Bryant. L’influence de Kobe dépasse largement le basket. Sa personnalité hors norme est le parfait reflet de l’état d’esprit angelino : victoire, travail et spectacle. Avant le dernier match du Black Mamba – et oui, c’est bien le dernier – mercredi soir contre les Utah Jazz, Kendrick a décidé de marquer le coup.
Le natif de Compton se démarque des milliers d’hommages rendus aux quatre coins de la planète, avec un poème, « Kobe Bryant: Fade To Black ». Écrit par le journaliste d’ESPN Scoop Jackson, il retrace certains exploits sportifs de Vino – 5 fois champion NBA avec son équipe, 18 fois All-Star, 3e marqueur de l’histoire de la NBA, meilleur marqueur de l’histoire des Lakers, 81 points inscrits en un match… – dans une vidéo émouvante qui l’amène sur les traces de son illustre ainé. Mercredi dans la nuit, la ville de Los Angeles perdra plus qu’une légende. C’est un part de son identité qui s’envole. Une trace qui restera à jamais gravée chez Kendrick et beaucoup d’autres : « Forever great in our hearts… know that it’s never goodbye, simply respect due. My dude, forever, Kobe. »
L’ensemble du poème est à retrouver ci-dessous :
« What can I say? I mean, really? What can we say? Day by day, season by season, 20 to be exact. Growing up watching him paint murals, using this building as his first studio, using L.A. as his canvas, restoring crowns back to where they belong, under royal banners. Purple and gold, the color of royalty. My one-man L.A. king: Kobe. Never meaning less could never mean less, and that’s what he means at this moment. All season has been his goodbye. Him to us, us to him, to the whole world.
Still got magic, but he made it magical. From Compton to Crenshaw, Jack to Jeannie, we were all witnesses, to all things that was him. I mean, we share with him the world. Soon enough, he became our identity. If you wasn’t born or raised here, or never lived here, you’ll probably never understand. I’m going to make sure you do. I’m talking about the 81 points, I’m talking about the afro, I’m talking about the alley-oop to Shaq, the off-glass buzzer beater over D-Wade, the Game 4 overtime takeover in the Finals: Kobe. I’m talking about the posterizing of Steve Nash, I’m talking about Dwight Howard’s rookie year when he got baptized. You remember that. Kobe bodied him. [laughs] The helicopter, the five parades, Kobe.
The mashed-up gamut of emotions with you and with ourselves is so deep, I don’t think nobody can break that bond. So I ask, how do empires last when there’s no longer an emperor? I mean, we got you, but at the same time, we got you. I’m talking about your blood, your sweat, your tears, even your DNA, is placed in these L.A. concretes, man. And nothing will ever replace that or erase that. Forever great in our hearts. So with that being said, know that it’s never goodbye, simply respect due. My dude, forever, Kobe. »