Los Angeles Lakers: Saying Goodbye To Kobe Bryant
By Greg Chin
“I honor it as I play today and for the rest of this season”
But, as the old cliché goes: Father Time is undefeated. Kobe’s search for a sixth ring to match Jordan’s achievements would go unfinished. Injuries took over as Kobe’s body began to break down. At first, it was the Achilles’ tendon that snapped, followed by a fracture in his knee.
By the time he returned to the starting lineup for the 2014-15 season, the Lakers were no longer the perennial contenders he played for in the past. Everything Lakers related would be reduced to a joke – from Byron Scott’s coaching and quotes, the team’s comedy of errors, and Kobe’s constant misfiring.
Honestly, it was surprising that Kobe decided to call time on his career at this stage. It makes no sense for him to keep pushing his body to the limit while his team continues to struggle to win games. Leaving on a high note is not something many athletes can bring themselves to do – while Kobe isn’t in his peak, he hasn’t quite yet become the unrecognizable ghost that many of our former sports personalities were before they retired.
Kobe Bryant, while a very divisive figure, will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. His drive and passion to win equalled his talent, and we might never see another player quite like him. In an era where loyalty belongs to the club with the most money or the best chance at winning a title, it was refreshing to see Kobe go out as a Laker.
Kobe Bryant, you will be missed.