Will it be the final year for Kobe Bryant donning a Los Angeles Lakers uniform? Better yet, will he still be playing ball after this season?
Such are the questions in mind as the Lakers star is set to play out the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now at 36, Bryant has been hampered by injuries that have kept him out of action for the past seasons. And now he is entering another season healthy and hopefully he can at least finish the regular season.
Bryant’s spate of major injuries started in 2013. The Lakers were going up against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013 when Kobe suffered a torn Achilles tendon. That injury ended Bryant’s season. He would return on Dec. 8, 2013 but again went down for another injury – a lateral tibial plateau fracture on his left knee – which sidelined him for the rest of that NBA season.
Last season, Bryant was seen back on the hardwood despite continued questions on his health. By Jan. 21, 2015, Bryant was once again bitten by the injury bug, this time suffering a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder and once again failed to finish another NBA season.
Those injury-plagued three years raise questions on whether Bryant could ever complete another NBA season. As mentioned earlier, what will Bryant's fate be by the end of the season?
When chanced upon by Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports, it seems Bryant isn’t even thinking of what happens after this season or if he would be signing up with the Lakers for another tour of duty.
"We haven’t set anything in stone and I’ve talked about it before," Bryant said via Yahoo Sports. "But could this be the last [season]? Absolutely. It’s tough to decide. It’s really tough to make those types of decisions. Players I have spoken to say, ‘Kobe, you will know.’"
At 36, Kobe could still gain some interest in the market and earn another big payday. As far as he is concerned, however, money isn’t the only consideration if he were to continue playing. As he explained, playing ball was never about the money because it is something he loves.
On the issue of retirement, it will be something announced in the offseason. There won’t be a lot of brouhaha if he does decide to call it quits and as he mentioned before, it will be on his own terms.
What is your take? Will Kobe Bryant call it quits after the 2015-16 season? Share your thoughts.