One would imagine retirement being difficult on Kobe Bryant. After all, he is one of the most ferocious competitors to have set foot on NBA hardwood. Turns out that he may actually be alright with retirement. In fact, he says he does not even miss playing NBA basketball.
Bryant made an appearance on “Good Morning America” to promote his animated short film “Dear Basketball” and was posed with the question of if he misses the game. Kobe had a quick response:
“No, I don’t,” Bryant said. “No, it’s crazy but I started playing when I was 2, and so after playing for 20 years in the league — what I have now is, everything I’ve learned from the game I carry with me to this day. So, the game’s never truly left me. Physically? Yes. But emotionally and in the things that I write all stem from the game. So it’s still a part of me, and then the other thing is that for athletes that come next understanding that there is a finality to it. Right? And that’s OK. It’s very hard to let go of something that you’ve done for half your life and it’s kind of become who you are — but there’s a difference between doing what you do, versus understanding that is not who you are. Hopefully other athletes can see that and understand that.”
Hard to believe, right? Well check out the video to hear the words straight from the Mamba’s mouth.
Does @kobebryant miss basketball?
Nope.
The @NBA legend explains why… pic.twitter.com/o4eiec83r3
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 24, 2017
