Kobe Bryant is entering his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers and there’s several questions surrounding him. Will it be his last season in the league? Will he leave the Lakers and try to chase a ring elsewhere? And how many minutes/games will he play after being injured plagued the last couple of seasons? Well yesterday during media day Bryant answered all those questions.
On retirement:
“If it is, it is,” Bryant said. “If it isn’t, I’ll be ready for next season. I don’t spend too much time thinking about it. I’ve got enough to think about.”
What will be the biggest factor in his decision?
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Bryant said. “I’ve thought about it a little bit in terms of, what is the deciding factor? How do players actually know when it’s time to hang them up, truly? Everybody kind of gives [the media] the standard cookie-cutter answers — relaxing, golfing, spending time with the family, things like that. But, really, how do you truly know? And I don’t know. I’ll have a much better answer when that time comes for me.”
On possibly leaving the Lakers:
“A lot of players want to go to different teams or contend to win championships,” Bryant told Yahoo Sports at the conclusion of the Lakers’ media day on Monday.
“I’m a Laker, man. I’m a Laker for better or worse.”
“I’m a Laker, man. How many times do I have to say that?” Bryant said “Dude, I bleed purple and gold.”
On how many minutes/games he wants to play:
“It’s tough to have a number [on my minutes limit]. Last year it was somewhere between 34 and 36, this year I don’t expect it to be any higher, I don’t expect it to be any less. You just have to go to read the situation, we were pretty good about it last year in terms of me communicating to Byron how my body feels.”
“I understand that after 20 years, and with age, and three season ending injuries in a row, that certain limitations need to be put in place in order for me to have a consistent season. So I’m comfortable with that, but I have worked extremely hard this summer to be able to play at a high level, regardless of if it’s 30, if it’s 48, I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary and that is my job to do so.””The goal is [to play in] 82 [games],” he said. “That’s what I’m here for, that’s the goal, that’s what I strive for, and then obviously you can’t predict what is going to happen, certain situations happen but that’s always the goal.”
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source: CBS Sports
