Kobe Bryant Told Byron Scott 2015-16 Season 'Might' Be His Last
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has struggled to start the 2015-16 NBA season, which may indicate that the end of the Black Mamba's career is imminent.
Bryant recently told Lakers head coach Byron Scott, "This might be my last year," per ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
Holmes passed along additional comments from Bryant regarding his future Sunday: "If you asked me today, this would be my last year. But you never know. We'll keep it open. Whatever happens, happens."
After the team's game against the New York Knicks, Scott was asked about his comments regarding Bryant's future.
"He wants to try to play every single game," Scott said, via Jared Zwerling. "He said this could possibly be his last year."
Although he did score a team-high 18 points in L.A.'s first win of the year over the Brooklyn Nets in his most recent contest, Bryant was only 5-of-16 shooting and saw five other teammates score in double figures.
As ESPN Stats & Info noted, heavy investment in a single player doesn't seem to bode well for team success:
Not only is Bryant's 32.1 percent field-goal percentage alarming through five games, but he's also forcing three-pointers at an astonishing rate. The 37-year-old is attempting 7.6 shots from beyond the arc per game—hardly the judicious shot selection one would expect from such a seasoned pro.
NBC Sports' Kurt Helin was quick to weigh in with his thoughts upon hearing of Bryant's comments:
"But whether he is going to retire, I believe him when he says he ultimately doesn’t know yet. I’ve always been in the camp that this will be it for Kobe — if he’s not going to chase a ring with another team, why would he put himself through all this physically to be part of a multi-year rebuilding process he will not be on the court to see the rewards from?
Bottom line, he’s getting too old for this… stuff.
"
Unless Bryant allows other Lakers to blossom and thrive, becoming more of a scoring decoy and facilitating offensively, L.A. is likely bound for another down year. The less he has to work on possessions in terms of attempting to create space and force up contested jumpers, the longer he may be able to extend his career beyond this season.
