Kobe Bryant Says It Would Be 'An Honor' to Work with Lakers After Retirement

As the farewell tour for Kobe Bryant gets underway, one of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers of all time doesn't sound like he wants to stray too far away from the organization after his playing days finish at the end of this season. 

Per ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Bryant told the media on Tuesday that it would be "an honor" to work with the Lakers after his retirement.    

This comes just two days after announcing that the 2015-16 season will be his last in a poem ran by the Players' Tribune on Sunday.

It's been a horrendous start to his final season, as Bryant has shot a little over 30 percent from the field as the Lakers have sputtered to a 2-14 mark through 16 games.

Regardless, former teammate Shaquille O'Neal had some advice for Bryant:

And SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt had some words for members of the basketball community who were getting after Bryant for his bad start:

In his 20th year in the league, all with the Lakers, Bryant has shown loyalty to an organization that has helped him become a 17-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion. 

Say what you want about his play while Kobe's on his last legs in the league, but it's difficult to knock his loyalty in a business where that trait is all but lost. 

It would be fitting for the Lakers to further reward that loyalty by allowing him to help mold a struggling franchise back to its former glory. And for a player who has over 32,500 career points, that kind of pedigree should be a necessity for any professional basketball team looking for an employee.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.