Kobe Bryant is currently on an endorsement tour in Shanghai, but that did not prevent him to speaking with Yahoo! Sports about his career and potential retirement after the season. Here is what Bryant had to say:
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Q: Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has hinted that next season can be your last. Could it be?
Kobe: "We haven't set anything in stone and I've talked about it before. But could this be the last [season]? Absolutely. It's tough to decide. It's really tough to make those types of decisions. Players I have spoken to say, 'Kobe you will know.'
"I'm making this very simple. Either I like playing the game and going through this process or I don't. I try to strip it down to the simplest form. Either I like playing some more or I don't. But I think that decision needs to be made after the season. It's hard to make a decision like that before the season."
Q: Would you want a farewell tour?
Kobe: "It's hard to do that type of stuff because I don't know if I'm going to retire or not. It's not a swan song when it all has not been written."
Bryant's comments come after suffering three major injuries over the past three seasons. First it was an Achilles rupture, then a fractured knee cap, and then a torn rotator cuff. However, Bryant touts himself as being in shape and his body feeling "extremely strong and healthy".
Bryant's decision to stay open-minded about when he should hang 'em up is probably the best one. If he thinks he can play and is able to have a team pay him, then he should keep going. The only potential drawback is if he tries to go the Brett Favre route and retires and comes back several times. If Kobe thinks he can keep going, then go; but if he decides to retire, then that should be the final decision.
