Kobe Bryant hints at retirement after the 2013-14 NBA season
Back in the 1996-97 season, when Kobe Bryant entered the league as a Los Angeles Laker, he had predicted that he would probably retire by the time he gets 35.
In a detailed interview recently, Yahoo’s Graham Bensinger reminded Black Mamba the same thing and the answer he got was enough to send shockwaves down the spines of millions of fans in Los Angeles Lakers, and the billions world
over.
“Still probably accurate…” Kobe responded. “I’ve been playing for 17 years now, so next year will be my 17th and then, when I’m 35, it will be my 18th year in the league. I mean that’s a long time to be playing. It will be the
last year in my contract, so I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll play any longer than that.”
Bryant has been the driving force behind the Lakers for the last decade or so. Even at this age, he is considered the man who can propel the Lakers towards their sixth title.
The shooting guard struggled with his knees in the 2010-11 season, in which the Lakers were ousted by the eventual champions Dallas Mavericks in the last round. He however got a plasma treatment done in the last offseason and looked
very comfortable on the court.
Under new head coach Mike Woodson, the Lakers offense ran through him the whole season, but the club was again got knocked out in the Western Conference Semifinals, this time by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kobe’s desire to win has however not ended by any means, and now, he has found a new backcourt partner in Steve Nash. The combo is being billed as the best ever formed in the history of NBA, and come next season, the Lakers will
be a force to be reckoned with, yet again.
With the arrival of Nash, the Lakers are bound to be more effective, especially the front court duo of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. This means less scoring and distribution burden for Bryant, a thing the franchise would welcome.
If the team can play up to its potential, it can win a NBA championship in the next two years – the duration for which Bryant is signed with the Lakers.
That will mean the Kobe will match Michael Jordan’s record of six NBA championships, and at 37, after accomplishing almost everything in NBA, he might think of retiring. If that happens, it would bring to an end an era of excellence
and competitiveness.
The Lakers however will be hoping that Kobe would continue on, at least for the next two years. He is the highest paid player in the league at the moment, slated to earn a whopping $27.849 million this season and a $30.453 million
in the 2013-14 season - the last year of his contract.
However such has been Kobe’s impact that the Lakers would not hesitate in giving him a multi-million offer when the contract expires. All he has to day is to stay fit and be himself.
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