Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant announces his retirement; this season, his twentieth in the NBA will be his last. Bryant is considered one of the best basketball players of all time, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles. Unfortunately as we all know all good things must come to an end. Kobe stated in his Player’s Tribune “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.”
Bryant, the Philadelphia native dominated the courts for two decades. Kobe entered the NBA straight out of high school; playing for the Los Angeles Lakers for a record of twenty years, his entire career, which is unusual because NBA basketball players (for the most part) are constantly being drafted. Kobe Bryant has five NBA championships, is a 17 time all-star, has two Olympic gold medals, and has score more points than the great Michael Jordan himself.
The ending of an incredible 20 year career has Kobe’s fans flooding social media with nostalgic posts, with hashtags like #GOAT (greatest of all time) and #Greatest, fans were also comparing his footprint in the NBA to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Kobe says he is very blessed and thankful for the amount of support he has received from his fans throughout the years. Bryant is at peace with his decision and is ready to say goodbye to his first love, basketball; he says is the right time and cannot wait to see what life has in-store ahead, this is just the beginning for Kobe Bryant.