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

[All Net]

Doesn't surprise me, he has 5 rings so the need to stick around in his late 30's to get a ring seems pointless.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

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.

How is he a coward for not wanting to chuck up shots and be an inefficient role player?

But to respond to the OP, I think Kobe and Fish will retire at the same time. After all, Kobe and Fish came in the league together, have been in L.A. together for (almost) their entire careers and won all of their rings together. There's no one else in that organization that Kobe respects or trusts more than Fish imo. Kobe has what, 2 years left on his deal after this year? Yeah I think he will be done after that.

[Force]

I sort of lose respect for a player who isn't willing to age and be on the other end of it once their time is over. It's the cycle of the sport and that's how it works. Some ego's can't deal with it though.

I can understand winning it all and then bouncing out on top, but with the money he is still due from the Lakers, Kobe should be talking about playing to win instead of worrying about what his stats will look like when he's older.

That's quite sad. Greats of the past never did that.

Not sure why he is so worried about being something other than the #1 option. He won 4, maybe 5 rings as the 2nd best performer already.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

Lol so people are actually chastising Kobe for him not wanting to play when he's really old, broken down and useless on the court? Only on ISH

[Force]

Lol so people are actually chastising Kobe for him not wanting to play when he's really old, broken down and useless on the court? Only on ISH

19 points a game, useless???

[YAWN]

I sort of lose respect for a player who isn't willing to age and be on the other end of it once their time is over. It's the cycle of the sport and that's how it works. Some ego's can't deal with it though.

I can understand winning it all and then bouncing out on top, but with the money he is still due from the Lakers, Kobe should be talking about playing to win instead of worrying about what his stats will look like when he's older.

That's quite sad. Greats of the past never did that.

Not sure why he is so worried about being something other than the #1 option. He won 4, maybe 5 rings as the 2nd best performer already.

Who said anything about him not playing to win? Have you not been following Kobe for the past 16 years? All he wants to do is win... He is leading the league in scoring, so Im sure he's going to be around putting up 25+ for at least two more seasons. He'll be an old 35 then.

Would you really want to see him stick around the league too long like these guys?

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

19 points a game, useless???

It's not just about points per game, and there isn't even a guarantee that his body nor mind would be up to the task of playing another 3+ season.s Kobe has had his time on the bench. He's had his time as the 2nd banana. He doesn't want to go back to it and why blame him? Like people have said, he doesn't have anything left to prove. He's won without Shaq and led teams to titles. Now he's just fulfilling his contract imo.

Plus, it's a level of humility. He's knows he's getting older and his days of being the completely unstoppable Black Mamba are over. There's a new generation of NBA talent being introduced and he's just showing the new guys a thing or two before he goes. Why embarrass yourself and the fans if you feel you can't play at the level you are accustomed to and want to?

[Force]

Who said anything about him not playing to win? Have you not been following Kobe for the past 16 years? All he wants to do is win... He is leading the league in scoring, so Im sure he's going to be around putting up 25+ for at least two more seasons. He'll be an old 35 then.

Would you really want to see him stick around the league too long like these guys?

Actually yes I would like to see that, except it would be him in a Laker jersey preferably.

There was something beautiful and poetic about Larry Bird's last days on the court. He didn't sit on the bench, he was flat on his belly due to back issues, so he would go in the game, score whenever the hell he wanted to, then laid on his belly again..playing less minutes, but still, playing the game even if he wasn't going to be the #1. Like I said already, Kobe only been the #1 guy on his team for a small fraction of his career. You act like he walked into the NBA scoring 25 a game with good basketball IQ.

Also wanted to add, it was awesome to see Kareem in his last years. Every year was rumored to be his last one. Every road game he played he got a big gift in the middle of the court from the opposing team. A giant rocking chair, a car, all kinds of stuff.

Kobe is like a boxer. He got beat up on your way up, took lumps and beatings at the top, and now doesn't want to get beat up on his way out.

But he said he doesn't want to score 18 a game. 18 a game isn't a garbage player. It's not Hakeem in Toronto, it's not an injured Shaq in Boston.

I always wonder what would have happened if Gasol rightfully got the Finals MVP. If it would have changed anything. Kobe might have seen it was still okay like the Shaq days, to not be the #1 guy on the team...and that life goes on and you are still considered great regardless. MMMaybe he would have been more welcoming to the idea of passing the torch or sharing the crown.

[Force]

Even after WINNING IT ALL. Phil went to the Lakers head honcho's and told them he wanted Kobe to be traded for obvious reasons....... think about that. Let's let this post be the thread ender ok?

[LakersReign]

Even after WINNING IT ALL. Phil went to the Lakers head honcho's and told them he wanted Kobe to be traded for obvious reasons....... think about that. Let's let this post be the thread ender ok?

You can tell that you didn't even bother watching the video before you came in here with all that. No matter how hard you haters try to look and sound objective, your pure Kobe hate still shows. Jordan came back to the Wizards to prove he could still dominate, and in his mind he still thinks he can if you listened to his HOF speech. His stint with the Wizards was lackluster cuz his age showed, but he still thinks he can dominate like he did in his prime. Unlike Jordan, he's saying plain out, if I can't win a title playing the way I'm playing right now, I'm done. And don't worry about me wearing another uni, cuz that's not gonna happen either. Which pretty much kills the pathetic "oh....Kobe's gonna ask for a trade cuz the Lakers are losing" hot garbage. Yeah, I can really see how people and Laker/Kobe fans should hate him for that

Oh, and by the way, ONLY haters feel this URGENT NEED to bring up ancient history, trying to make it relevant, when it really has nothing to do with anything. OOPS!!!!




Nice try

[KenneBell]

Like I said already, Kobe only been the #1 guy on his team for a small fraction of his career.

97-04

05-12

What the hell are you talking about?

I wouldn't want to see him out on the court looking flabby and sick like the players in the above pictures. Retire while people still have a good vision in their head about you. Go out on a good note.

[Euroleague]

Kobe is full of it. He will chase down that all-time scoring record.

[ILLsmak]

I think Kobe is breaking down anyway. If think if he was healthy and didn't have a body that is slowly falling apart because of over-training, he would stick around longer.

Yeah it's funny like putting up 15-18 ppg as a role player, even someone off the bench is bad. Imagine Kobe winning 6th man of the year. He doesn't think outside of the box. He only wants to play one way, which sucks.

-Smak

[KenneBell]

Yeah it's funny like putting up 15-18 ppg as a role player, even someone off the bench is bad. Imagine Kobe winning 6th man of the year.
-Smak

Why would he want to do that? He almost did that in his 2nd year.

He wants to go out on his own terms, I don't see the problem. By the time is contract is up he will have spent over half in his life playing NBA basketball. I can see why he'd want to walk away if he feels that he's slipping to far to compete like he wants to.

[pauk]

No. It doesnt.

It does... AI didnt want to be a roleplayer either and average 18-19 ppg, he said it numerous times... he got pissed the **** off when he had to come of the bench, complained all the time until nobody wanted him..