Description
Students love reading and analyzing Kobe Bryant’s powerful poem “Dear Basketball,” making this lesson an engaging and meaningful way to explore poetry, author’s purpose, and paired text analysis. In this activity, students complete a poem analysis and a compare-and-contrast paired text activity that connects Bryant’s poem with Michael Jordan’s 2003 retirement letter, also titled “Dear Basketball.”
In 2015, Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from professional basketball through The Players’ Tribune by publishing “Dear Basketball,” a heartfelt poem reflecting on his lifelong relationship with the sport. In the poem, Bryant shares his passion, sacrifices, and gratitude, offering students a rich text filled with imagery, tone, and emotional depth. The poem later inspired an animated short film that earned Bryant an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018, adding cultural and historical significance to the lesson.
Students deepen their analysis by pairing Bryant’s poem with Michael Jordan’s retirement letter, allowing them to examine similarities and differences in voice, tone, perspective, and message. This comparison encourages higher-level thinking as students analyze how two iconic athletes express identity, legacy, and closure through different forms of writing.
The lesson also includes a creative writing extension, giving students the opportunity to respond personally to themes of passion, dedication, and letting go. This balance of analytical and creative tasks makes the lesson well rounded and highly engaging for students.
This resource includes an anticipation guide, a complete analysis of Kobe Bryant’s “Dear Basketball” with answer key, a paired text excerpt from Michael Jordan’s retirement letter with guiding questions and answer key, and an after-reading creative writing activity. You’ll receive a teacher guide and answer key in PDF format, along with student materials provided in both editable Word format and print-ready PDF.
Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this Dear Basketball poetry and paired text lesson blends sports, literature, and critical thinking in a way that strongly resonates with students.