It feels like only yesterday that Kobe Bryant capped up his career with the Los Angeles Lakers by scoring 60 points in his final game against the Utah Jazz. Given that the game is likely still quite fresh in most basketball fans’ memories, it is difficult to realise that it took place all the way back in 2016.
The amount of seasons he competed in the NBA is one of the factors that leads many people to believe he is far older than he actually is. Kobe Bryant entered the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he was only 18 years old, which means he competed in the NBA for a total of 20 seasons. This represents roughly five times the length of an average NBA career.
How Old Was Kobe When He Retired?
Kobe Bryant retired at an age of 35 years. He said, “That’s still probably accurate. When I’m 35 it will be my 18th year in the League, that’s a long time to be playing. That will be the last year of my contract… I’ don’t know. I’m not sure. I’ve seen so many players retiring and then they come back… I don’t want to be one of those guys but I’m sure they said it too.” but I’m positive that they’ve all said something similar.
While speaking with Graham Bensinger of The Huffington Post this summer, Bryant hinted that he would retire at the end of his contract in 2014.
“I’ve been playing for 17 years now, so next year (this season) will be my 17th and then, when I’m 35, it will be my 18th year in the league. I mean that’s a long time to be playing. It will be the last year in my contract, so I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll play any longer than that.”
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When you consider that Bryant is only 34 years old and in the midst of one of the best seasons of his entire career, it’s hard to believe he’ll be hanging it up at 35. When you consider that Bryant is approaching 54,000 minutes played in his career, you can see that he has logged a lot of miles (regular season plus playoffs). On the other hand, he conditions himself as well as any other player in the league.
Why Did Kobe Decide to Retire?
Kobe Bryant’s career was cut short by a series of tough injuries that severely curtailed his explosiveness toward the end of his playing days. Kobe Bryant suffered a tear in his Achilles tendon in 2014, and it appeared as though he was unable to regain his explosiveness once he returned from the injury.
Kobe Bryant is famous for continuing to play despite suffering an injury and making both of his subsequent free throw attempts. In addition to his Achilles, Kobe had knee trouble towards the conclusion of his career, which caused him to require a number of arthroscopic knee surgeries as well as injections to assist alleviate the discomfort.
Throughout his whole career, Kobe never discussed his injuries in great detail, which is only one of the many reasons that Kobe’s fans adored him so much.
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Kobe Bryant’s Retirement Speech
After playing his final game in 2016, Kobe delivered a legendary speech, and in 2017, he did the same for his official jersey retirement speech.
2016 Speech
2017 Speech
A Glimpse Into Kobe Bryant Career
When it came to points, Kobe Bryant was the man of the match. Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe (an American professional basketball player) has five championship rings from the National Basketball Association.
The son of ex-NBA star Joe Bryant and socialite Pamela Cox Bryant, Bryant was an only child. His two sisters are named Shaya Tabb and Sharia Bryant.
Basketball has been a part of his life since he was three years old. After his dad’s NBA career fizzled out, he headed back to Italy and signed with a league there. He made the remark as a junior player from Pennsylvania, hence the name of his nickname.
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Starting out, he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks, and 2.3 steals a game. The games Bryant plays in earn him a lot of recognition. Bryant was the only player except Kobe who put in more hours for the Lakers. Nearly 20 years of play have passed.
After retiring, Kobe continued to keep himself active with a wide range of pursuits. In addition to being an exceptional writer and producer, he is also extremely interested in his daughter’s basketball activities, is an active investor in companies such as Body Armor, and has a lot of involvement in the community.