This season being Kobe Bryant’s final one in the NBA is becoming more and more of a certainty. The Los Angeles Lakers’ legend has struggled mightily in his 20th season and with his contract expiring at the end of the year, it seems highly unlikely that he decides to come back next season.
Many rumors have swirled about where Bryant would play if he did return next season. Kobe has already shut down any possibility of playing for another franchise, having spent his entire career with the Lakers – more years with one franchise than any other player – and he is now putting any thoughts of an international tour to bed.
In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Bryant claimed that the thought of playing in Europe is not currently in his thoughts. Of course, that leaves some room for a change of heart, but it does appear unlikely that Bryant goes that route as a final farewell to basketball.
I had previously thought that if Bryant were to play basketball beyond this season, it would be in Europe, namely in Italy where he grew up while his father played professional basketball. It now seems that that is not a very likely possibility, meaning Bryant’s basketball career is coming to an end. Unless Kobe plays with the national team in the 2016 Olympics, this season may be the last time we ever see the all-time great play basketball again.
