On Sunday night, 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant announced that the 2015-16 NBA season would be his last.
In a profound letter to the game of basketball, published by the “Players Tribune,” Bryant announced his retirement to the world.
In his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, The Black Mamba is a five-time NBA Champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time scoring champion and a 17-time All-Star.
Bryant is the Lakers all-time leading scorer with 32,683 points. He is also third on the NBA’s all-time scorers list, holds the NBA record for most seasons played for a single NBA franchise and most All-Star game MVP awards won with four and is the only player in NBA history with more than 30,000 points and 6,000 assists.
After having season-ending injuries in his previous three seasons, Bryant’s body has reached the end of the road.
“This season is all I have left to give,” said Bryant to the “Players Tribune.” “My heart can take the pounding; my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And, that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know now so we both can savor every moment we have left together.”
In what has been a rough year for the Lakers, with the second-worst record in the NBA (2-14), Bryant is averaging the worst numbers of his illustrious 20-year career, averaging only 15.5 points on 30 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from behind the arc.
With 66 games left in his career, fans around the world will appreciate these games a lot more, knowing that when the games are up, the career of one of the greatest players to ever play the game will come to a historic end.