Since the three-game stretch in late December where he sat out because of soreness, Kobe Bryant has looked like a different player in more ways than one. Bryant has focused on shooting less and passing more. Meanwhile, Lakers head coach Byron Scott has kept Kobe at 32 minutes per game and has forced the Black Mamba to miss four additional games to rest his body. It's what you come to expect from a 36-year-old player who has logged the 10th most minutes in NBA history.
In a recent piece written by the L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke, Bryant reflects on his current state, battling the soreness that comes with playing a full regular season schedule. "My body is hurting like crazy, around the clock, and if I don't want to do this anymore, I won't do it,'' he says. When asked if he has considered retiring after this season, Kobe said, "I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't crossed my mind. Right now I doubt it…but anything's possible."
By saying "right now," Bryant keeps his options open about possibly returning for next season. But then again, Kobe says, "My body is hurting like crazy, around the clock, and if I don't want to do this anymore, I won't do it."
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[via L.A. Times]
