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SPORTSMonday 30 November 2015
Kobe Bryant says he will retire at end of 2015-16 season
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA previous two years. He has Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shoots the ball over lessly devoted to the fran-
star Kobe Bryant has de- struggled mightily in the first Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first half chise, repeatedly declar-
cided to retire after this 15 games of this season of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015, in Port- ing he would never play for
season, ending his 20-year with mostly young team- land, Ore. another NBA team despite
career with the Los Angeles mates on a rebuilding ros- the Lakers’ wholesale re-
Lakers. ter, making a career-worst Associated Press building process following
The 37-year-old Bryant 32 percent of his shots and the disastrous 2012-13 sea-
made the announcement dealing with pain and ex- Pau Gasol for two more Byron Scott said Bryant in- son with Dwight Howard
in a post on The Players’ haustion every day. in 2009 and 2010. Only 13 tended to play, even after and Steve Nash.
Tribune on Sunday. The In recent months, Bryant players in league history playing 34 minutes at Port- But Bryant’s departure will
third-leading scorer in NBA repeatedly said he didn’t played on more champi- land on Saturday night. allow the Lakers to finish
history wrote a poem en- know whether he would onship teams than Bryant. “I know his purpose is to straddling the past and
titled “Dear Basketball” to play another season, clear- The Lakers (2-13) hosted finish out this season and the future, with young
announce his decision. ly hoping for a rebound in the Indiana Pacers on play,” said Scott, Bryant’s prospects Julius Randle,
“My heart can take the his health and the Lakers’ Sunday night, and coach teammate during the 1996- D’Angelo Russell and Jor-
pounding. My mind can fortunes. 97 season. “It’s always sad dan Clarkson taking on
handle the grind. But my Neither has happened, when greatness decides to leading roles rather than
body knows it’s time to say and the ever-impatient Bry- hang it up. ... I thought he deferring to their superstar
goodbye,” Bryant wrote. ant didn’t wait any longer had at least another year teammate.
“And that’s OK. I’m ready to decide his future. in him.” Bryant repeatedly de-
to let you go. I want you “Kobe Bryant is one of the Bryant is the NBA’s highest- clared that he didn’t want
to know now. So we both greatest players in the his- paid player this season a farewell tour in the style
can savor every moment tory of our game,” NBA with a $25 million salary be- of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
we have left together. The Commissioner Adam Silver stowed on him by grateful or Derek Jeter, his friend
good and the bad. We said. “Whether competing Lakers owner Jim Buss de- and The Players’ Tribune
have given each other all in the Finals or hoisting jump spite his recent injury prob- founder. Yet the Lakers’
that we have.” shots after midnight in an lems. Bryant has been tire- eight-game road trip be-
Bryant went straight from empty gym, Kobe has an ginning next week is almost
high school in suburban unconditional love for the certain to begin a pro-
Philadelphia to the Lakers game. I join Kobe’s millions longed goodbye to Bry-
in 1996, and he earned five of fans around the world in ant, one of the NBA’s most
championship rings and 17 congratulating him on an popular and most divisive
All-Star selections during outstanding NBA career players.
two decades with the fran- and thank him for so many “It’s tough to see one
chise — the longest tenure thrilling memories.” of the absolute greatest
with one team in NBA his- Even during his late-career competitors go through
tory. Bryant also won two struggles, Bryant’s fans this,” Miami guard Dwy-
Olympic gold medals. have remained devoted to ane Wade told The Asso-
But Bryant’s last three sea- the 6-foot-6 star who won ciated Press on Sunday,
sons have ended early due titles alongside Shaquille prior to Bryant making his
to injuries, and he played O’Neal in 2000, 2001 and announcement. “You can
in only 41 games over the 2002 before teaming with put a team around a guy
to help a guy, especially
late in his career. They’re
just not in position right
now to do that. He’s won
five championships, so no
one feels bad for him from
that standpoint. But from a
standpoint of seeing one
of this era’s greatest play-
ers go out in a rebuilding
process, it’s tough.”q
