Kobe Continues to Ponder Retirement

[The Regime]

Kobe Bryant continues to believe that the 13-14 NBA season will be his last.

 

Bryant is signed with the Lakers through that season, which will be his 18th in the NBA.

 

"It's just that three more years seems like a really long time to continue to stay at a high, high level of training and preparation and health," Bryant said. "That's a lot of years. For a guard? That's a lot of years."

 

Bryant played 39 minutes per game last season after having an offseason procedure on his knee in Germany.

 

"It's not about health necessarily," he said. "It's about 'Do I want to do it? Do I have that hunger to continue to prepare at a high level?' "

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/20512645/future-of-lakers-is-now-for-kobe-as-16year-veteran-mulls-retirement

 

I still cant imagine the day where he'll step down. I like to think that he'll play as long as Jordan did (up till 40), but his knees just don't have enough juice left in them.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Simba

[Sħãlïq™]

That's kinda sad. I mean I'll sure have trouble accepting it... I hope goes for a coaching career or something so he could stick around.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Sħãlïq̵'

[Check my Stats]

I am still on the 'he's so full of shit' bandwagon. He could sign a contract that pays him over 30 million dollars annually after this one is up, and lets not act like basketball isn't Kobe's life. Not sure if the Lakers would give it to him, but yeah. I would be shocked if he walked away, barring some sort of major injury.

 

A Kobe-less league is going to be weird though.

[Real Deal]

I think he wants to retire well before he hits 40, but that's easy to say, especially if LA is still contending (and it could very well happen, assuming Nash retires, Gasol is gone, Bryant signs for less, and we have cap room to add another star with Howard).

 

It's going to suck, though.

[The Artesticle]

i grew up watching kobe, he was one of the few players that really made me interested in basketball. its weird because all these people i grew up watching, like kobe, shaq, AI, pierce, KG, carter, t-mac, duncan, kidd, dirk, nash, webber, sheed, b diddy, yao and francis are all close to retirement if not already retired. it just feels weird that in 2-3 years pretty much all these guys i grew up idolizing will be gone.

 

as for the lakers i think they set themselves up just perfectly. our salary is set up so that in 2 yrs the only contract left on the books is steve nash, who expires after the season is over. i could see kobe, and pau, both potentially resigning for 1 more yr and playing the season out with nash and dwight and giving it one more run. but i think at max, kobe has 3 more years left. i dont see him staying any longer than that, and it will be a sad day when he does hang it up.

Edited October 10, 2012 by The Artesticle

[Snap's Distinct Phelps]

Kobe will retire whenever he realizes he can't win a ring in Los Angeles. Could be now, could be five years from now. I could see Kobe ring chasing on his own team for years to come. Kobe is not built for longevity to be frank with you, his body is torn up and he has seen his fair share of injuries. If Kobe was to stick around the Lakers for awhile, he'd defiantly be on the bench. That's if he doesn't pull a Memphis Iverson and get all defensive about being a role-player.

 

Kobe has had an amazing career though. A fringe top ten ever player, hell you can even debate he deserved another MVP. Could he have had another MVP? Maybe in 05-06, but he was unlucky that Nash did so well holding the depleted Suns together that year, not in the other season's though. It's a shame he'll have to live with Jordan comparisons for the rest of his career, because Kobe is unlike any NBA player ever.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Snap's Distinct Phelps