Kobe Bryant: Top 5 Signs We May Be Seeing the Beginning of the End of His Career

It was maybe the first hint that came straight from the horse's mouth last night after receiving his NBA record tying fourth All-Star Game MVP.  When TNT's Ernie Johnson asked Kobe Bryant what it meant to win the MVP award in front of his home crowd, he casually responded, "This will be my last All-Star game in front of these home fans."

The response isn't as much shocking as it is a friendly reminder that Kobe Bryant is not going to play forever. At some point, just like Michael Jordan, he is going to have to call it a career.

There was a seven-year gap between All-Star games in LA, so I guess it's safe to say that he's going to hang it up sometime between now and at least 2018.  He also recently surpassed Jordan in games played, serving as yet another reminder that even the great ones can't play forever.

Kobe Bryant is 32 years old and is playing in his 15th NBA season with the Lakers.  He's appeared in 198 career playoff games (the equivalent of two-and-a-half NBA seasons) while participating for Team USA during the offseason in 2007 and 2008 and also committing to the 2012 team.

With this in mind, let's take a look at the top-five signs that we may be seeing the beginning of the end of Kobe's long and illustrious career. 

5. The Injuries Are Beginning To Take a Toll

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CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 14, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that

We all know Kobe isn't as explosive as he once was. However, his three dunks during last night's All-Star game served as a friendly reminder that he can still get up when he wants to.

His explosiveness has diminished due in large part to three knee surgeries and more recently a bad left ankle, an injury that forced him to miss nine games last season after playing in all 82 games the two years prior.  

His right knee was also a major issue last year. The swelling had gotten so bad that during the first round of the playoffs last season, he actually had to have it drained in between Games 5 and 6.  All he did after that was score at least 30 points in 11 of the next 12 playoff games.

Kobe had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late July and appears to be slowly getting back to full strength.  One thing is for certain: the older you get, the longer it takes your body to recover from injuries, especially ones that require surgery.   

4. His Minutes Are Way Down

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference celebrates after being named MVP for the fourth time in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE

Kobe is averaging 33:53 minutes per game this season, down nearly five minutes per game from last year. It's his lowest average since his second season in the NBA when he was still coming off the bench as a 20-year-old.  

It makes sense for Phil Jackson to limit his minutes during the regular season in an effort to keep his legs fresh for a deep postseason run.  This serves as another minor alert that the Lakers are making a conscious effort for the first time in Bryant's career to rest him as much as possible.  

This has also been the case on off days, where for the first part of the season, he was not participating in the majority of the Lakers practices due to a lingering issue with his right knee.  Despite the significant decrease in minutes, Kobe still averages 25 points per game while shooting 46 percent the field, slightly above his career average of 45.5 percent.   

3. The Arthritic Right Index Finger Is Affecing His Shot

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ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to the scoreboard during the game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on February 13, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by

Kobe is shooting just 31.5 percent from three-point land this year, his lowest percentage since the 2001-02 season.  Many believe this is due in large part to his severely injured right index finger.  

The middle knuckle on his right hand is so debilitated by arthritis that it is beyond repair and many believe it was the primary factor that led to his 6-of-24 shooting performance in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season.

His free throw shooting seems to be suffering as well, considering the fact that he has been shooting just 82 percent from the line over the past two seasons after shooting at least 84 percent in seven of the previous nine years.

The issue with the finger is that it can't be fixed with surgery, and it's something he will have to deal with for the rest of his career.  The question is, how much longer will that be? 

2. It's Phil's Last Season

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HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson (L) and NBA player Kobe Bryant attend Bryant's hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater on February 19, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Get

It's no secret how much Kobe enjoys playing for Phil Jackson because for the most part, he lets Kobe call the shots.  Jackson understands perhaps better than any coach ever that when you are dealing with the Michael Jordan's and the Kobe Bryant's of the world, you let them do what they want to keep them happy.

Being that this is Phil's last season as head coach of the Lakers, it's hard to imagine Kobe being overly excited about playing for another coach.  It's possible that it could even contribute to Kobe retiring earlier than even he had anticipated.

The most likely candidate to replace Jackson is Brian Shaw, who has been serving as an assistant coach with the Lakers for seven seasons.  Many believe that Shaw's relationship with Kobe is similar to the one he has with Jackson, thus making him the primary candidate to replace the Zen Master at the end of the year.

1. He's Slowly Beginning To Pass MJ

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ATLANTA - FEBRUARY 9: Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) #23 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars talks with Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) #8 of the Western Conference All-Stars at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game on February 9, 2003 at Philips Arena in Atl

We all know that winning championships drives Kobe Bryant.  It's the same thing that drives all the great ones and Kobe is no different.  We also know that he has an opportunity to win his sixth NBA title this year (tying him with MJ) and potentially his third straight NBA Finals MVP.

Winning his fourth All-Star Game MVP last night not only surpassed the three All-Star Game MVP's won by Jordan, it served as a reminder that Kobe is beginning to catch MJ in a lot of significant categories.

We know the ring count is 6-5, but it doesn't stop there.  MJ appeared in 14 All-Star games, and Kobe just played in his 13th.  MJ was First Team All-NBA 10 times, and Kobe will make his ninth appearance this year. MJ was First Team All Defense nine times, and Kobe will likely make it nine this year as well.  MJ won two gold medals, and Kobe will have the opportunity to win his second in 2012.  

And the stat that I consider to be the most important behind the rings is that MJ scored 32,292 points in his career, and Kobe has 27,222.  Kobe will pass MJ in total points in approximately three seasons by averaging just 20 points per game.

So let's take a look ahead three years from now. By that time, we could be looking at a guy who has six or seven rings and is the third-leading scorer in NBA history, not to mention the highest scoring guard of all time. He could potentially have two gold medals and surpassed the great Michael Jordan in many significant statistical categories.  At that point in his career and with a wife and two kids, what else will he have left to accomplish?