Kobe Bryant might retire in two years
by Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports
Kobe Bryant was second in the NBA in scoring and fourth in MVP voting last season. But the Los Angeles Lakers star sees the finish line.
In a wide-ranging and excellent interview with CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, Bryant made it sound as though he doesn’t anticipate playing beyond the length of his current contract, which expires in two seasons.
Here’s an excerpt from the story:
Speaking with CBSSports.com in a quiet moment after practice, Bryant conceded that, in all likelihood, the finish line and the conclusion of his current contract will be one in the same. Bryant has two years left, and though he was careful to point out, “One can never be too sure,” he made it clear in the next breath it’s almost unfathomable he would play beyond 2013-14, which would be his 18th season.
“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.”
The Lakers, with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in tow, figure to be among the championship favorites in each of the next two seasons. Bryant already has five championship rings, and two more would give him seven and put him ahead of Michael Jordan. Bryant always will be compared to Jordan and has discussed his legacy many times.
Bryant also has had injury issues, dealing with a bad wrist the past two seasons and missing a few practices last week with a foot injury.
Of course, that mentality leaves open the door to a comeback. We’ve seen it often in recent years, with Rasheed Wallace trying to be the latest former star to come back after a year or two off. Jordan did it twice, once to play baseball, once to escape before the Chicago Bulls fell apart then give the Washington Wizards team he partly owned a boost.
But Bryant is only 34, has a lot to offer and still seems to have fun in the game. So we’ll hold off before we take him for … [For more on Kobe Bryant says he might retire in two years from Lakers, NBA, click here.]
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