Even if you’re not really into basketball, you’ve definitely heard of Kobe Bryant. He is an NBA hero and achieved milestones that no other basketball player could dream of. Bryant played as a superstar guard on the Los Angeles Lakers the past 20 years and his time is finally coming to an end.

Bryant will be playing his last game on Wednesday, April 13 at the Staples Center against the Utah Jazz. Fans and celebrities alike are incredibly sad to see him go — Kendrick Lamar even recorded a tribute for the Black Mamba.

Basketball fan or not, here are five reasons why you should care about Kobe’s retirement.

  1. He is the Michael Jordan of our generation.
  2. He is the youngest player in history to reach 30,000 career points and the youngest NBA starter at 18 years and 158 days.
  3. He is a fighter and a resilient player — Bryant has suffered 22 injuries in his career and was never one to give up because of them.
  4. In addition to killing it in the NBA, Bryant has taken home two Olympic gold medals.
  5. His passion and love for the game is an inspiration to many top basketball players including Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony.

“With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “I join Kobe’s millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories.”

xx, The FabFitFun Team