Kobe hinting at retirement again.. / not gonna be a role player

[KenneBell]

I can see where he's coming from. He probably promised himself back in the early 2000's that he wouldn't go back to being any team's #2 or 3.

Don't want to stick around too long and lower people's last memories of you, like many superstars before him. I'd hate to see him go out like Hakeem, Ewing, Barkley, or Shaq.

[Smoke117]

I actually respect him more TBH. It shows if this guy is not going to be the central focus of a championship, he doesn't want to play at all, thats how much of a winner he wants and how much responsibility he takes for his team. Thats mad hunger from Kobe.

Bullshit. If you were a real athlete and baller you'd want to play as long as possible. Just because he can't jack up 23 shots a game and be the hero anymore he's ready to quit. That's called being a coward. You don't have to be the best player on the team to make an impact. Look at Ray Allen, he's 36 and was a star for most of his career, but you don't hear him ready to retire do you? Kobe is just acting and talking like a bitch.

[longtime lurker]

Kobe will play at this level until he's 40. I see a Karl Malone type career for him.

[RazorBaLade]

Would be stupid.. Chance is there to break kareems record even tho its small

[Jasper]

"Am I going to stick around and score 19, 18 points a game?.. Hell No!" - Kobe on an ESPN interview with Stephen A Smith

Today he is 3691 points behind Jordan for #3 on the all time scoring list. After this season he'll still be around 2500 short. So 2 more seasons after this..

Jordans college and baseball career > Kobe's ____________________

[Da_Realist]

Well no shit. At some point Kobe's gonna have to defer and I don't see him willingly doing that. He's had to hold the ball more these past few seasons to put up the type of numbers he has. At some point his usage rate is going to be 50%.

I mean look at Kobe this year and last. He hasn't affected games like he used to. While his numbers look nice, they hardly tell the whole story. Of course 20 or 30 years down the road people won't remember that type of stuff, which is probably what he's banking on.

Excellent point. I've been saying this for years.

[Millennium X]

He's not gonna be like Wade averaging 19-20 in the middle of his prime.

[HEAT111]

He's going to pass Kareem whether you guys like it or not

[pauk]

"Am I going to stick around and score 19, 18 points a game?.. Hell No!" - Kobe on an ESPN interview with Stephen A Smith

Today he is 3691 points behind Jordan for #3 on the all time scoring list. After this season he'll still be around 2500 short. So 2 more seasons after this..

Sounds like Allen Iverson

[Rowe]

Kobe will play at this level until he's 40. I see a Karl Malone type career for him.

[AirTupac]

Nothing new. And for the dumb Celtic fan going off on Kobe, he's still going to be playing basketball, can't believe your dumb ass is complaining that he wants to leave the NBA after 16+ NBA seasons of greatness. He'll be playing in Europe (Italy as he said) most likely.

Can't make everyone happy...

[oh the horror]

Bullshit. If you were a real athlete and baller you'd want to play as long as possible. Just because he can't jack up 23 shots a game and be the hero anymore he's ready to quit. That's called being a coward. You don't have to be the best player on the team to make an impact. Look at Ray Allen, he's 36 and was a star for most of his career, but you don't hear him ready to retire do you? Kobe is just acting and talking like a bitch.

Bullshit, 18, 19 pts is affective. It's Kobe's ego which won't allow him to chuck up 22, 23 shots and average his points as he ages. How can you respect a player who can't age gracefully, but who's ego is so gigantic that when he can't be the "super star" anymore he's done? What a ****ing coward.

Dude, shut the fu*k up. Really.

[oh the horror]

Sounds like Allen Iverson

No. It doesnt.

[oh the horror]

The funniest part is...if he reversed the comment and stated something to the effect of how he'll play until he's an old man, and putting up ____ amount of points, people here would probably say he was selfish.


The sheer dedication that some people have on this board toward hating particular players is downright scary. Some of you straight up have mental illnesses.

[chazzy]

Kobe's gonna retire sooner than people expect