Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant announced his plans to retire prior to the start of his 20th season, and now with mid-April practically here, the all-time scoring leader for the purple and gold has but a single game left to play. Known for his competitive spirit and five championship rings, Kobe had a profound impact on all basketball viewers, though it would be hard to argue that his greatest influence wasn't on the fans and people of L.A. With that understood, ESPN recently tapped Kendrick Lamar for a send-off TV spot prior to Kobe's final game Wednesday night.

Wearing an untitled unmastered. hat, Kendrick starts off by sharing in the common disbelief that this moment has even arrived, that Kobe is actually about to hang 'em up. As "Untitled 07" plays, K. Dot reflects on the man that many have associated with the sport of basketball for the entirety of their lives. "Growing up watching him paint murals, using this building as his first studio, using L.A. as his canvas. Restoring crowns back to where they belong," he says. And later, "From Compton to Crenshaw, Jack to Jeanie, we are all witnesses to all things that was him...Soon enough he became our identity. If you weren’t born and raised here or never lived here, you probably will never understand. I’ma make sure you do."

Kobe's final game will be played in L.A. at the Staples Center on Wednesday April 13 against the Utah Jazz at 10:30 p.m. EST. The atmosphere will undoubtedly be an emotional one. As Kendrick puts it in the "Fade to Black" spot above, "The mashed up gamut of emotions with you and with ourselves is so deep, I don’t think nobody can break that bond. So I ask, how do empires last when there’s no longer an emperor?"

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