Kobe Bryant Poem Indicates This Is His Final Season

Kobe Bryant published a poem in The Players Tribune that seemed to indicate in these stanzas that this season will be his last:

"You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream And I’ll always love you for it. But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding My mind can handle the grind But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know now So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other All that we have."

This isn’t a massive surprise. The Lakers are 2-13, and Kobe has been shooting just a shade over 30% from the field. His body has been letting him down for several years now. So, let’s hope we do get to see a few vintage performances out of him from here on out, even as it is a lot bit sad to see someone who used to have total command of a game in total regression. We’ll look back on Kobe’s career in aggregate fondly, and while the past couple years will not be altogether forgotten they will also not be at the forefront.