We will always remember
The handsome young man
Streaking down the wood court
With the ball in his hand
A bright flash of gold
He passed so deftly
Led his team to a score
And another one swiftly
His effortless style
The way he handled the ball
Passing or soaring
To a magical dunk
His intensity fierce
With his game face on
But then he’d flash a warm smile
Like a kid at the park
To his teammates
His coaches
The fans
And reporters
And those who watched worldwide
By the virtue of cameras
We all sensed his exuberance
His love of the game
Such amazing accomplishments
At such a young age
5 NBA Championships
81 points in a game
The 3-point shot record
So brilliantly won
He took Olympic gold
Before he was done
There’s one night I remember
Above all the others
The game that immortalized
His never quit character
Down by double digits
Well in the fourth quarter
He proved to the world
That he would always fight harder
Take the ball down the court
Get a foul or a score
With each careful touch
Put up two points or more
Close the big gap
And fight your way back
The game’s never over
When you’re on the attack
The other team thought
That they had the match won
But the real winners fought
Till the minutes were done
On the sixth of December
Two thousand and two
The team losing badly
Won the contest by two
How we’ll miss this fine man
Still young when we lost him
His quiet demeanor
Respectful, well-spoken
Brilliant and cultured
A man of the world
Much more than a champion
Of athletic gold
There’s a sense that we’ve lost
Much more than a star
Much more than a wonder
With talent inspired
We’ve lost an example
Of what greatness can be
A towering example
A father
A friend
A teammate
A leader
A man who lived fully
And accomplished
The best of his dreams
Copyright © 2020 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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