On Sunday, the NBA community was shocked to learn that one of the greatest players in the history of the game was retiring after 20 seasons. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant announced that he will retire after the season in a piece for the Players’ Tribune.
After the team’s loss to the Indiana Pacers that night, Bryant discussed his decision in a press conference. Kobe spoke on a range of topics, including when he knew this was his final season and what ventures he is planning on tackling next.
Speaking about the decision to retire, Bryant had this to say:
I’ve known for a while […] I had to accept the fact I don’t want to do this anymore.
Kobe’s immense love of the game was what made him special and for his entire career, it was clearly noted that basketball was one of, if not the most important thing in his life. To hear Bryant clearly say he does not want to play basketball anymore is a telling sign of his situation. Bryant also made it clear that the thought had been in his head for a long time now, and that he had told a familiar friend and mentor about it as early as the summer:
"[Michael Jordan] was one of the first people I told over the summer. … [I told him], 'This is it.' [He told me], 'Just enjoy it'." Kobe
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 30, 2015
Kobe also mentioned how he knew it was time to quit, saying that his mind had started to wander away from basketball at times when it had usually been at the forefront of his thoughts:
During meditation, Kobe says his mind always drifted toward hoops. But recently, that stopped happening. He said that was the first sign.
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) November 30, 2015
Despite Bryant’s struggles, both on the court and in deciding to retire, the veteran seemed mostly calm during his presser, possibly showing that finally announcing his retirement took a load off of his back. Bryant spoke about working hard to be where he is now as well as working hard to overcome his current struggles on the court rather than calling it quits right now:
"I feel at peace with it. … I continue to work really, really hard, even though I played like s—." Kobe Bryant
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 30, 2015
"There's so much beauty in the pain of this thing." — Kobe Bryant on why he's not retiring right now
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 30, 2015
While Kobe admitted that he was at peace with his decision, the presser did show some of his emotions coming out. After 20 years – more than half of his life – of playing in the NBA, it is an emotional decision to walk away. Kobe’s unwavering and obsessive love of the sport makes the decision even more difficult. However, in true Mamba fashion, Bryant made clear that those emotions would not filter through during games:
Kobe on maybe shedding a few tears as the end of the season gets closer: "It's not going to happen on the court."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) November 30, 2015
