Kobe Bryant to retire after 2015-16: 'This season is all I have left to give'
Kobe Bryant has finally confirmed what had been widely assumed: the 2015-16 season will be the final act of his legendary NBA career.
"This season is all I have left to give," the Los Angeles Lakers legend wrote in a poem addressed to the game of basketball on The Players' Tribune on Sunday.
"My heart can take the pounding," Bryant wrote in the poem, entitled "Dear Basketball."
"My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And that’s OK. I'm ready to let you go."
Bryant hinted on a number of occasions this was looking like his final season, but he hadn't formally announced the decision, and previously said he didn't want his 20th campaign to become something of a farewell tour.
Injuries, age, and the 55,000-plus NBA minutes he's logged over his career have taken their toll on the 37-year-old, as Bryant has played just 53 games over the last three seasons while battling a variety of Achilles, knee, and shoulder injuries.
Bryant's shooting, especially, has plummeted, with the 17-time All-Star averaging 15.7 points on 31.5 percent shooting from the field and 19.5 percent shooting from 3-point range in the final year of a contract that will pay him $25 million this season.
Bryant, who on opening night became the first player to play 20 seasons for one franchise, has 15 All-NBA selections, five championships, two Finals MVP awards, and a league MVP award to his name. The future Hall of Famer also won back-to-back scoring titles in 2006 and 2007, and sits third on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
"With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
"Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game. I join Kobe's millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories."
The Lakers will look to end a five-game losing streak Sunday when they host the Indiana Pacers. Assuming Bryant is healthy and the Lakers are out of postseason contention, the final game of his storied career is set for April 13 against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center.