Longtime Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant stated Friday he announced his decision to retire early in the season to help the franchise begin planning for a future without him.
Baxter Holmes of ESPN passed along comments about the situation from the 37-year-old veteran, who didn't think it would have felt right to stretch the decision-making process out until season's end:
I knew what I was going to do, so why wait? I'm not going to hold [Lakers'] management hostage either, because they need to start thinking about what it is they want to do [after I'm gone]. And going through this entire season not knowing, that's not fair. So if you know, let the world know and let them know.
Bryant announced his intent to retire with a poem on the Players' Tribune in late November. Fans from around the NBA have responded with warm welcomes during his final stops in various cities and also made him the top vote-getter for Sunday's All-Star Game.
The five-time NBA champion is no longer playing at a top-tier level. He's averaging just 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 34.9 percent from th ...
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Article written by Tim Daniels
Kobe Bryant Discusses Decision to Announce Retirement Early in Season
February 13th, 2016 by Tim Daniels Leave a reply »
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