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Kobe Bryant: This season is all I have left to give

By Cody Williams

Nov 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) reacts in the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) reacts in the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kobe Bryant announces he will retire after the 2015-16 NBA season

Kobe Bryant has been nearing the end of his career for quite some time as the Los Angeles Lakers great has dealt with numerous injuries and a noticeable decline in his skills in recent years. However, the question has always been when exactly the 20-year veteran would actually hang it up. On Sunday night, he answered that question.

In a poem written for and published on The Player’s Tribune, Bryant stated that “this season is all I have left to give” and confirmed that he will retire after the 2015-16 NBA season:

It’s always hard to see one of the greatest players of all time leave the game, but it’s been clear that Kobe’s time has been coming for quite a while now. He’s not been the Black Mamba that strikes fear in every opponent for quite some time now and it’s been unfortunate to watch his decline.

Even with the decline, though, there is no denying Bryant’s accomplishments in his 20 years playing in the NBA. Between the five championship rings, the thousands upon thousands of points that he’s scored for the Lakers, he’s been one of the best to ever play this game and has earned his place in rarified air. He’ll be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer whenever that time comes and, without question, he’ll be missed.

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