(Sports Focus) Kobe's leave ends "most beautiful years" of Chinese fans

Tears shed. Memories flood in. That's what the Chinese basketball fans do when they heard Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant announced Sunday his retirement at the end of the season.

   "I knew the day would come, but I can't face it when his retirement enters the countdown," Internet user "KTP24" said on China's popular sports chatroom Hupu, "we shall thank Kobe for giving us wild joy and good memories in the past two decades."

   For many younger Chinese spectators, school-day memories were deeply rooted in their minds when they missed live matches and had to sneak a peek at the text broadcast on cellphone in class. Posters above bed and Lakers jerseys were also must-haves.

   In the eyes of Chinese fans, Kobe is perhaps the world's best player and successor of legend Michael Jordan.

   "Kobe has brought the lessons he learned from Jordan to younger players and inspired them the way he once drew inspiration from Jordan," said a fan surnamed Zhou on Wechat, the Chinese version of Linkedin.

   Not every Chinese fan can afford a trip to the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Those few who had the opportunity to watch Kobe play earn green eyes of those who don't.

   A netizen screennamed "Infinite Sky" shared how he managed to watch Kobe play a charity game just a few steps away on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter.

   "I went to that arena 5 hours before the game. Securities weren't in their place at that moment, and the janitors thought I was a journalist and just let me in," he recalled.

   The trick worked for about 10 minutes before he was expelled, but it has become his life long memory, he said.

   It might explain why thousands of Chinese audience flocked screaming  "MVP" whatever city the pop went to during every visit of China in the past decade.

   With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, and two Olympic gold medals, Kobe has become a superhero, an outstanding example and even the symbol of NBA to his millions loyal followers in China.

   "Injuries couldn't defeat Kobe, but time could. The great era is going to end. Other stars like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Vince Carter will follow Kobe's steps in the future," Internet user "Small Rain" wrote in his Wechat group.

   "Thank you for loving you in my most beautiful years, Kobe. Your legend accompanied us from teenage to middle age, and we will tell our children your stories," said Weibo user "Boiling Water".

   "Heroes come and go, but legends are forever," he said.  Endi