Kobe says he was at his best in 2012-13: 'I was able to see 5, 6 moves ahead'

The 2012-13 season held great promise for the Los Angeles Lakers, with the arrivals of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard making them a favorite to win their 17th championship.

Multiple head coaching changes, different offensive schemes, chemistry issues, and a slew of injuries ultimately derailed the Lakers' campaign, with the team being swept in the opening round of the playoffs.

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant remembers that season fondly, though, if only for his own performance.

"It's the season where I ruptured my Achilles, actually," Bryant told ESPN's Baxter Holmes when asked which version of himself he preferred: No. 8 or No. 24. "Because I felt like I was playing the best basketball I've ever played in my entire career."

Los Angeles just barely qualified for the playoffs on the back of eight wins in the final nine games to snag the seventh seed with a 45-win record. Bryant put his body through the ringer to keep his team from falling out of the race. He ruptured his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013, which marked the sixth game in a row he played 41 or more minutes.

"I had to work like a maniac to be there, but I was able to be there," he recalled. "Mentally, emotionally, I was able to see five, six moves ahead in the game, and all sorta crazy s---."

Bryant's numbers across his 78 appearances weren't nearly his strongest statistically. He contributed 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 32.4 percent from behind the arc, along with 5.6 rebounds, six assists, and 1.4 steals in 38.6 minutes, with a player efficiency rating of 23.

During that pivotal stretch run, however, his playing time skyrocketed to 45.5 minutes per game.

"That was one of my favorite times, yeah," he said. "It almost killed me, but it was fun."

Bryant will become the first player to have two numbers retired by the same organization on Monday at Staples Center.