Kobe Bryant Says Retirement Is a 'Moving Target,' Wants to Find 'Next Challenge'

Kobe Bryant's retirement has been a hot topic ever since the Los Angeles Lakers star tore his Achilles tendon, but he's not ready to hang up the sneakers just yet.

Under contract for just one more season with the Lakers, the Black Mamba was asked about his retirement by ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin. Bryant's response? A typical Kobe answer:

"It's still a moving target," Bryant said while discussing when he'd be done playing basketball.

The thought of seeing Bryant out of the league seems like fantasy, but we're getting closer and closer to the end of the line for this legend. He hasn't said one way or the other for certain when he's going to retire, but it's fairly obvious Bryant is giving more thought to it than he has in previous years.

So what does Kobe want to do when he's done hooping? 

"It's about finding what that next challenge is going to be and then being able to go for it," he told McMenamin. 

And where will the inspiration come from?

"You know I always keep those mentors secret, man. They're all considered chief Buddhas to me."

Beyond being one of the best players to ever grace the hardwood, Kobe's quotes to the media have gotten increasingly good as he's aged.

"Now you start looking what the future is going to be post your NBA career -- things that you can focus on, things that you can acclimate yourself to -- and you start looking at that as a challenge a little bit," Bryant added.

Whatever Kobe decides to take on as his next challenge, we know he'll do it with his traditional Black Mamba mentality.

Here's hoping Kobe's retirement doesn't come any time soon.

The NBA will miss him when the time comes for his goodbye.