Here me out before you think this is ridiculous, Kobe Bryant may very well retire after the upcoming NBA season.
That will happen only and if only the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA title. It is obvious that the Lakers days are coming to an end. This will be the last year for Coach Phil Jackson and with a win in June this will be the last year for Kobe Bryant.
If you see it like Kobe sees it, this will be the last chance the Lakers have of winning the NBA title. The Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will be contenders for years to come and the age of the Lakers will become a factor in the following years. They are the oldest team in the NBA.
Don't expect Kobe to bandwagon on any superstar like Shaq has been doing for the past 3+ years. Kobe would rather be like Mike (Michael Jordan) and leave while still in his prime.
Kobe is no idiot, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat will be passing the Lakers soon and Kobe will be left fighting till the very end. A great player knows when to call it quits and if he wins his 6th NBA title next year he will retire.
However, he did sign a 3-year extension worth $80-85 million last year, but that's just for insurance if he doesn't win his 6th ring. He isn't happy with five and at least passing Magic Johnson and tying Michael Jordan.
But some of you might say that if he does win why not go for a 7th ring? He may have the desire, but soon his body will give up on him. He has so much mileage in 14+ years that even if his mind says "yes", his body will say "no".
If you disagree with me tell me what you think?
**You can reach the author of this post at kc@gacksports.com
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- Category: Kyle Colman, NBA, Rumor Central
- Tags: derek fisher, Kevin Durant, kobe bryant, la lakers, lebron james, Miami Heat, michael jordan, phil jackson
Hahaaa...... Nice one. You'll probably only be off by a decade, more or less.
Kobe will retire closer to 2020 than 2010. Book it, that's a fact. Just look at what he's said in his career about career longevity, keeping in shape to continue playing as long/well as he can.
There is NO WAY ON GODS GREEN EARTH that this will be his last year, I'd bet every penny in my bank account, everything I own on that one... Any takers???
Kobe is too great a competitor to just settle on matching Jordan's six titles. He probably wakes up in the middle of the night thinking of ways to prolong his body to win at least two more titles two beat Jordan's six. The only way Kobe retires next year is if Lebron, Wade, and Durant retire too and he has no competition to play against. Kobe's goal now is two win at least two more rings and past MJ so he can be mentioned as "The Best Ever". Don't forget he's still only 32 and Jordan won three more rings at 32.
We cant forget that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 rings
Kevin Durant is coming to L.A and the Laker Dynasty will continue. Kobe can leave when ever he wants, and he is the greatest Laker ever. The Heat will disband after three years. Hopefully they get some money soon to put some guys on that team. D Wade is the man no doubt. Chris Bosh is an 6' 11 player who thanks he a 3 and i am sorry to say but James is "no daisy." they will make the playoff but i think i could put a team together to make the playoffs in the east since sub 500 gets you in.
No way! That would be a fools bet my friend.
i think kobe wants to get 7 rings to past jordan he will try his hardest to get it because the only way some people will say hes greater than jordan is if he gets number 7 i dont think hell retire i think hell play out his contract.
You, my friend, are a loser, First of all, Kobe wants to play until he can't play. Not when he feels like he can't win a title ( which he will never feel). Second of all, unless Kobe informed you of this catastrophic news, then this is not even relevant to kobe's career for the next few seasons. Third of all, you can tell you are an amateur that is trying to break Laker's fans' heart. Piece of crap article.
first of all you guys give kobe wayyyyyyyyy to much credit, he really is an outstanding player, but he is not GOD, kobe just had his 3rd knee surgery, count them 1, 2, 3, if you guys saw the playoffs, the old kobe did not show up for the playoffs, and with his ego the way it is, he would rather leave his fans while he is in his prime, before he allow people to refer to him like they do ray allen and paul pierce, as being old, talking about what he use to bring to the game, it was a game in the finals where glen davis missed a shot and kobe and another laker was under the rim, before kobe could react, rajon rondo had gotten the rebound and made the shot, it was dont so quick, kobe didnt even block the shot, i said this to say, kobe is showing signs of slowing down just like anything other player that has come and gone, and just like any other player he wont be around forever, he wont be the best forever, so kobe bryant laker fans, its time to start facing reality, a change is coming to the NBA!
Kobe did not show up for the playoffs?
1st Round: 23.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4.0 rebs, fg 40.8%
2nd Round: 32/5.8/3.8/52.3
Conf Finals: 33.7/8.3/7.2/52.1
Finals: 28.6/3.9/8.0/40.5
Total: 29.2/5.5/6.0/45.8
Yeah, he didn't show up.
By the way, we aren't "kobe bryant laker fans." We are Lakers fans.
i agree with a lot of these comments...kobe is the best athlete out there..and he is indeed very competitive. to competitive to quit after this...kobe is gonna be the brett favre of the nba..the only difference is .... Kobe will know what he's gonna do..and kobe is gonna keep winnig rings.
uh kobe will never be like brett favre when his body tells him its over kobe smart enough to no that when its time to go its time to go.
u have no idea wat ur writing u write like u know wat kobe is thinking
You do make valid points. But Kobe flat out is a competitor. He welcomes the competition whether its Miami, OKC, Boston, or any other team he thrives off of it. Kobe breathes, sleeps, eats basketball it is his life. If they are crowned Champs again I just don't see him retiring. When he knows he can go for #7, #8 steadily etching his name into NBA History. I feel Kobe will play until he can't play anymore or until at least his contract ends.
I think you cannot even write about Kobe's final year. Unless somehow you know the future for sure. Which you don't. You underestimate Kobe. Kobe is not a person who settles for the status quo. He wants and will be the best in history. MJ is not his goal. Kobe is a tireless athlete. He's probably working on his game even now, during the off season. He really doesn't care about the Big Slime or I mean, the Big Windbag(Shaq). If he was to retire, it means his whole faith and reliance as a champ was PJ. Means he's so arrogant he couldn't learn from any other coach, which says alot about him. And which I do not believe. You are very presumptuous in even thinking Kobe could retire even now. But it sure has given you a type of platform in the responses you're getting, hasn't it?
This is something you wrote to generate a response. Good one! here is the response. Stop smoking, or get a better source or better yet find a new day job.
GO KOBE GO LAKERS GO!!!
please stay off of kobe retire u must b crazy kobe is the best he will never dessert his team like someone we know y is everyone calling him old we still have a young team fish is the oldest and he sure dont play like it kobe and the lakers want to 4 peat something he a shaq was suppose to do but didnt know he can rewrite the history book kobe kobe kobe
Hello author .Don't know where you got the idea that the Lakers are "the oldest team in the NBA". I guess you just wrote this to be a choad?
Kobe said in an interview that he's going to play for as long as they allow him to play. He loves this game. This isn't even a rumor. This is more of a "I'm bored, let's go try to mess with some Kobe fans" article. I heard Lebron is retiring this year too. He realized that the NBA became too easy, and decided he's gotta move on to bigger and better things.
Kobe won't be done for a while. He's a competitor and won't allow someone to take his 'throne' as best in the NBA without a fight. The Lakers will still be a contender without Jackson, although they will take a hit.
I don't think the OP understands the difference between "rumor" and "wild speculation"
I will recommend not to hold off until you get big sum of cash to buy all you need! You can just get the mortgage loans or just term loan and feel yourself comfortable