Kobe Bryant unsure if 2015-16 season will be last

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard and legend Kobe Bryant will be entering the final year of his contract, and the 2015-16 season is expected to be his last with the team.

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The Lakers star would not say whether this will be his last season in the NBA, according to Lakers reporter Baxter Holmes.

Kobe: "I’m as excited for this season as I’ve been in a long time.”

Will it be his last?

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Hell if I know."
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) September 28, 2015

This opens the door for the possibility of Bryant finishing his career with another team, but it remains to be seen whether any franchise will sign the 37-year-old to the sort of contract he will likely command.

Bryant received a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension from the Lakers in 2013 that ended up backfiring on the team. Bryant is entering his 20th season in the NBA, and he has enjoyed massive success in his time that will easily gain him first-class access to the Hall of Fame.

He has led the Lakers to five NBA titles while winning two NBA Finals MVP awards and averaging 25.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists throughout his career.

However, the future Hall of Famer has suffered a season-ending injury for three consecutive seasons now. It started when Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon toward the end of the 2012-13 season. This contributed to the Lakers being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round after snagging the No. 7 playoff seed in the Western Conference.

The Lakers have failed to make the playoffs since, and Bryant has only played in 41 games during the last two seasons. Los Angeles is now in rebuilding mode, and they have used their opportunities to draft blue-chip prospects.

They selected power forward Julius Randle in 2014 before picking point guard D’Angelo Russell in the 2015 draft.

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