Where my pictures come to die

FAMILY

SPORTS

"Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other

All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,
Kobe"

The Players Tribune

TRAVEL

Every summer, my family and I would go to Hawaii when I was younger. We would spend a few weeks on Maui, Lanai, and Oahu. My grandma was from Lanai and grandpa was from Maui, so it was always so special to go back and spend time together. This was a huge part of my travel experiences during my childhood.

I found my happiness when I traveled near and far. It was a way for my mind to be free and open to a new experience. My journey began in Japan where I had the opportunity to go and play basketball against other universities. We explored different cities; Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Tokyo. This was a special time for me to explore my roots while playing the sport I loved. I was surrounded by good food and good company! Not much more I could've asked for. Next up was Europe. I found that so much growth came when I let basketball go to embark on new journeys and seize different opportunities. I got to intern for a clinical research organization and live in Prague for 2 months. This was probably the best experience I had in college. Investing in traveling was a way for me to invest in myself. I wanted to share some special moments in my portfolio from some of my favorite places. Enjoy! :)