OT: Kobe to Retire After Next Season

red222 · Post #1 » by **red222** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:23 am

A version of this story first appeared in the Feb. 27 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

The L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant has been contemplating life after basketball since he was 22. Now that he's 36, out due to injury and close to retirement, he says he'll play one more season and finish his two-year contract, which will net him $25 million.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/k ... ing-774541

Post #2 » by **GimmeDat** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:28 am

Seems like a good time to end it. With Kobe gone, the NBA is going to be a different place. We're sure going to miss his competitiveness.

Lexluthor · Post #3 » by **Lexluthor** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:55 am

I will miss Kobe . I hope the lakers make the playoffs next year . I don't want to see him end his career on a bad team

Post #4 » by **HomoSapien** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:13 am

Honestly, it feels like he's been retired for a few years now.

jumpstart · Post #5 » by **jumpstart** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:35 am

Hes one of the last of that old school mentality. Although, we might see a resurgence of it at some point. Everything cycles, no? The LBJ's are a disgrace to the league fi you ask me.

Wingy · Post #6 » by **Wingy** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:09 am

Good riddance.

Two-bit Michael Jordan wannabe.

Tenchi Ryu · Post #7 » by **Tenchi Ryu** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:15 am

Wingy wrote:Good riddance.

Two-bit Michael Jordan wannabe.

Addicted123 · Post #8 » by **Addicted123** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:37 am

I'll believe it when I see it. I think Kobe will want to play until he is 40+.

Mech Engineer · Post #9 » by **Mech Engineer** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:18 am

I never cared much about him. After watching MJ, it was like watching a cheap imitation. Got way too much hype because of being in LA. He didn't win anything without dominant big men unlike MJ or Lebron.

Obviously, a great player for his era and a HOFer but overhyped in the overall greats list.

RebuildaBulls · Post #10 » by **RebuildaBulls** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:25 am

I really really hated Kobe before, but now that hes near retirement hes alright. It will be an end of an era when he retires, hes a bridge from the MJ's to today.

Hes probably closer to MJ then Lebron will ever get, but Kobe is still farrrrrr from being on the same level as MJ

DRoseCantStop · Post #11 » by **DRoseCantStop** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:26 am

Tenchi Ryu wrote:
Wingy wrote:Good riddance.

Two-bit Michael Jordan wannabe.

Yeah, that was pretty disrespectful.

OldSchoolNoBull · Post #12 » by **OldSchoolNoBull** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:28 am

Seems like we're going to see a mass exodus of players from that first post-Dream Team era in the next couple years. Some of the older ones - Shaq, Webber, Kidd, Iverson, T-Mac, and some others - are already gone. It seems likely that KG is done after this season. Now Kobe. Duncan and Manu will probably be gone sooner rather than later. Dirk and Pierce are getting there. Seems like Nash is done. Carter is 38 and out indefinitely at the moment, so he probably doesn't have a whole lot left.

Seems like just yesterday these guys were the "new generation".

TimRobbins · Post #13 » by **TimRobbins** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:54 am

He dragged it two season too long, but he did make and extra $50M so you can't really blame him.

t-time · Post #14 » by **t-time** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:35 am

Feeling like I'm getting old with all these guys retiring.

Always liked Kobe, competitive Fire and a 1 team man unlike modern day pussies like Lebron

drbg43 · Post #15 » by **drbg43** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:42 pm

Love Kobe. The NBA won't be as fun with him gone. Really feels like the end of an era.

Post #16 » by **dougthonus** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:53 pm

Kobe's effectively been gone for awhile now.

Once the Dwight Howard experiment failed in LA, that was the last we had any hope of Kobe doing anything.

Personally, I've felt he's one of the most overrated players in league history while at the same time being an all time great which I suppose is contradictory. He's frequently put up in that pedestal with guys like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Kareem, and I think he's easily a tier below those guys.

He has this reputation of being an ultimate competitor, but his attitude probably cost him a ring or two during his career. He threw playoff games refusing to shoot at one point just to prove a point. He ran Shaq out of town so he could get a bigger piece of the spotlight and had he not been such a douche in the Shaq era, they'd have probably won at least one more ring.

For a guy sometimes considered a top five to ten guy all time, I don't think there's ever been a point where I thought he was even the best player in his era, and he starred in probably the worst period of basketball since pre Magic/Bird.

I'd say it's tough for the league to lose stars, but the league isn't losing anything with Bryant IMO, the next generation of players is so much more captivating IMO. I'm loving the NBA right now even if the Bulls piss me off frequently.

League Circles · Post #17 » by **League Circles** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:51 pm

In the post MJ era, here's how I'd rank the players:

1. Shaq
2. Lebron
3. Duncan
4. Kobe

I think at least.

kyrv · Post #18 » by **kyrv** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:54 pm

dougthonus wrote:Kobe's effectively been gone for awhile now.

Once the Dwight Howard experiment failed in LA, that was the last we had any hope of Kobe doing anything.

Personally, I've felt he's one of the most overrated players in league history while at the same time being an all time great which I suppose is contradictory. He's frequently put up in that pedestal with guys like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Kareem, and I think he's easily a tier below those guys.

He has this reputation of being an ultimate competitor, but his attitude probably cost him a ring or two during his career. He threw playoff games refusing to shoot at one point just to prove a point. He ran Shaq out of town so he could get a bigger piece of the spotlight and had he not been such a douche in the Shaq era, they'd have probably won at least one more ring.

For a guy sometimes considered a top five to ten guy all time, I don't think there's ever been a point where I thought he was even the best player in his era, and he starred in probably the worst period of basketball since pre Magic/Bird.

I'd say it's tough for the league to lose stars, but the league isn't losing anything with Bryant IMO, the next generation of players is so much more captivating IMO. I'm loving the NBA right now even if the Bulls piss me off frequently.

Well said. Bryant is not the best Laker of all time, a few ahead of him. Not happy he's been going out injured, but as you said, just tremendously overrated by the media.

Bryant was the best player in the league one year maybe, two if we are being generous.

transplant · Post #19 » by **transplant** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 6:59 pm

Kobe Bryant: The best sequel since Godfather II.

RayClayMatthews · Post #20 » by **RayClayMatthews** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:55 pm

I started watching in 93 and so I missed most of Magic besides when I watch old games. But even watching the Magic return game in 96 and how amazing he was, I think I enjoyed it more than anything I have seen from Kobe, even him dropping 81 on Matt Bonner and Jalen Rose's TUFF D.

He was good but so so overrated. Magic, Wilt, Kareem, way way better Lakers