If you keep up with basketball or sports in general, you know about the legendary Kobe Bryant is headed for retirement. To just skim the surface of Bryant's accomplishments for the Los Angeles Lakers, he has helped the team win five NBA championships, he holds the third highest number of points scored with 33,243, and 17 All-Star selections over his 20-year career.
As players from the Lakers have come and gone, Bryant has stayed loyal to this team. He is recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. In his first-person story titled, "Dear Basketball," a quote that has been posted and shared everywhere by Kobe says, "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." Bryant has said that he has come to terms with his decision for a while now, but breaking the news to the world was going to be tough.
Kobe's love for the game has shined more than words could ever describe throughout his career, and his passion has left an everlasting imprint on the NBA, his fans, and the sports world. With Kobe's numerous injuries and being a 37-year-old in the fast paced professional league, many people have speculated he would retire soon. According to the L.A. Times, Jim Buss, the Lakers co-owner and Executive VP of basketball operations, spoke kind words about Kobe when he said, "Kobe Bryant is family. He's been on this team for 20 years. That's more than half of the time our family has owned the Lakers." Kobe's presence is powerful and triumphant, and it will live on forever.
Nonetheless, with Kobe's retirement, that leaves one question: Where does the future of the Lakers and the basketball world go from here? With Kobe's injuries, the team has already had to kind of learn how to play without Kobe. He has definitely taken a backseat for his last season, but players and coaches are still hoping he can make it through the season healthy while still having big games and moments to finish off his NBA career on a positive note celebrating a historic athlete.
Are the Lakers better off without Bryant? That is a matter that has a lot of speculation and controversy. CBS Sports ran a poll and it showed that the team will benefit without Kobe, including a five percent better chance of making it to the playoffs. In his current back seat position on the team, they expect Kobe to cost the Lakers more than four wins on his own. Now, that may seem like an over exaggeration, but when we put Kobe's age, injuries and declining finesse into play, maybe it's not.
Regardless of the statistics, the Lakers are known for Kobe Bryant. The Lakers will not be able to compete with the elites until they find another player like Kobe, which will be a very tough task to accomplish. Nonetheless, the LA Lakers have some promising upcoming players including D'Angelo Russell who was the second overall pick for the 2015 NBA draft. Jordan Clarkson brings consistency and experience to the court while Larry Nance Jr. has been a surprise this season but brings athleticism and high basketball IQ plus plenty of room for growth. Yes, all these players are promising but they are no where close to Kobe's talent. Kobe Bryant created a legendary persona in the NBA and sports world, and he will be remembered forever. He has built up respect from his fans and fellow coaches and players throughout his career == you will be missed Kobe.
