First, there were the rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers is about to trade its superstar Kobe Bryant in an attempt to start a revamp or rebuilding of the team that has mightily struggled in the current NBA season.
It was improbable actually considering the huge amount of Kobe’s contract with the Lakers plus the fact that no NBA team would most likely take in the superstar guard considering that he is way past his prime and he is already on the twilight of his career.
When it died down, it was replaced by another round of rumors insinuating that the Black Mamba would be retiring by the end of the current NBA season despite one more year remaining in his contract with the Lakers.
Bryant signed a two-year $48.5 million contract extension in 2013 which means that he is receiving a cool $24.25 million this year and the same amount for the next NBA season, reports ESPN.
With a losing record which is the second worst in the Western Conference and the fourth worst in the NBA, the Lakers and Kobe Bryant are really in a mess and no amount of camouflaging can cover the team’s frustration over their situation.
Not done yet
Coach Byron Scott said that retiring probably crossed Kobe’s mind out of frustration with the team’s current situation but he and Kobe have not talked about the issue during practice, on the road, or on any other occasion.
Kobe Bryant actually talk about it during an interview with the Los Angeles Times by saying that he would be lying if he would say that he did not think about retirement. But the Black Mamba said that he can still play and would not do it this season.
Scott pointed out that when it comes to the point that Kobe shall make the decision, then that would be the time that they would start thinking about it as a team.
Having experienced the same thoughts during the 1996-97 NBA season playing alongside the upstart Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, Scott said retiring or deciding on retiring is a very hard decision to make especially if a player has so much love and passion for the game.
He sees how Bryant love the game of basketball so it would really be a challenge for him to move away from something that has become part of more than half of his life.
Young’s view
Nick Young, one of the most, if not the most promising player in Lakers uniform today, believes that Kobe Bryant would sure come to the point of finally deciding on hanging up his sneakers.
He says that it’s tough for Kobe to retire but he knows it will come to him. By then the young Lakers squad would realize the value or the greatness of a Kobe Bryant in their team and that they were very fortunate that they were all able to play with him in the court at one point in their basketball lives.