Kobe Bryant's Hall of Fame career is coming to an end sooner than later. But it may be coming faster than Bryant himself envisioned.
While it's unlikely Bryant - who is signed through the 2015-16 season - would walk away before his contract is up, he has still thought about it. Bryant admitted that early retirement is a possibility.
"I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't crossed my mind,'' Bryant told Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times about retiring after the season is up. "Right now I doubt it… but anything's possible.''
The 36-year-old would be leaving $25 million on the table if he called it a career after this season. But for a player who has earned close to $300 million in salary since entering the league in 1996, Bryant isn't concerned about that aspect of the equation.
"I don't care about the money," he said. "If I don't feel like doing it, I won't do it.''
The Los Angeles Lakers' superstar is, however, concerned about his body - and the way he has been handled recently proves the organization is, too.
Bryant was limited to six games during the 2013-14 season due to a ruptured Achilles and a fracture in his kneecap. It didn't stop him from averaging 35.5 minutes through the Lakers' first 27 games this season before Bryant and head coach Byron Scott realized his playing time needed to be taken down a notch.
Bryant sat out the next three games, and has played in only seven of the team's 14 contests since taking his first breather of the season Dec. 23. He's averaging 31.4 minutes over that stretch.
The five-time champion, in his 19th NBA season, has finally started listening to his body.
"My body is hurting like crazy, around the clock, and if I don't want to do this anymore, I won't do it,'' Bryant said.
Perhaps his achy body and the long season is getting to him. Bryant is largely playing in uncharted territory - he has never been on a team this bad before.
Los Angeles entered Sunday with a 12-29 record, good for a .293 winning percentage. Only three teams in the NBA have been worse. The current version of the gold and purple is on pace to be the worst Lakers team since moving to Los Angeles.
Bryant, who is listed as doubtful for the Lakers' next game Monday, is averaging 22.6 points on a career-low 37.2 percent shooting from the field.
