Dear Basketball: Where Poetry, Passion, and Purpose Collide

Some texts hit differently. They settle into our bones, make us pause, and spark something deeper in our students. Kobe Bryant’s Dear Basketball is one of those pieces.

Written as a love letter to the game that defined him, Bryant’s poem captures the raw emotion of passion, perseverance, and the bittersweet reality of saying goodbye to something that has shaped you. And this is what makes it an incredible piece for the classroom.

Beyond the Game: Teaching Literary Craft Through Dear Basketball

We know that sports are more than just games, and poetry is more than just words. They both require discipline, creativity, and heart. Using this Dear Basketball poetry activity from Teachers Pay Teachers, students analyze how Bryant uses poetic techniques like metaphor, imagery, and personification to transform his personal journey into something universal.

But here’s the magic: it doesn’t stop at analysis.

This resource encourages students to channel their own experiences, their own passions, and their own goodbyes into poetry. Whether it’s Dear Soccer, Dear Violin, Dear Summer Camp, or Dear Childhood, students learn that writing is about feeling, about storytelling, and about honoring the things that have shaped them.

Why This Works for ALL Learners

🔥 Engagement: Even the most reluctant readers lean in when sports are involved.

🧠 Critical Thinking: The poem’s structure and literary devices make for rich discussion.

💡 Personal Connection: Students get to write about their passions, making learning deeply personal.

🎭 Multimodal Learning: Pair it with a video of Bryant reading his poem, then have students perform their own.

Whimsy, Rigor, and a Love Letter to What Matters

The best lessons don’t just check off standards; they invite students to see themselves as writers, thinkers, and storytellers. Using Dear Basketball in the classroom is an opportunity to show students that poetry isn’t just something in textbooks—it’s alive, it’s personal, and it’s powerful. And if you don't have time to pull these resources and scaffolds together, I did it for you right here!

So let’s write, reflect, and honor the things we love. Because isn’t that what great teaching (and great poetry) is all about?

💭 How would your students complete the sentence: “Dear ____” ? I can't wait to hear what they say!