Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is going into his 20th season in the NBA. Despite his injures in previous seasons, Bryant is indecisive about retiring in 2016.
“We haven’t set anything in stone and I’ve talked about it before.” Bryant said to Yahoo Sports about Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak mentioning that he might call it quits after this season.
The five-time NBA champion was drafted the same year new Lakers player and No. 2 overall draft pick D’Angelo Russell was born, according to the Lakers Franchise website.
With the new additions like guard Lou Williams and the return of forward Julius Randle, Lakers head coach Byron Scott mentioned that Bryant might play as a power forward, according to the NBA website.
“If we don’t get another guard, then Kobe’s in that mix,” said Scott. “I don’t think he needs to be using up the whole 94-foot floor if we cut that down some, I think that saves his legs as much as possible.”
Bryant does not see the change as a huge shift, explaining that other players do not play by their positions.
“You got forwards that play like [guards]. [Centers] that play like [small forwards].” Bryant said.
Bryant told Yahoo Sports that his “body is good” when asked about his physical state now compared to the beginning of training camp last year.
“My lower body is solid. There are no question marks on what I can do,” Bryant told Yahoo Sports. “My body and my legs feel extremely strong and healthy. That’s the big difference. My upper body, I’ve been doing the weights and stuff like that.”
Bryant sees promise in the team, he notes that the players gained in free agency “are extremely solid” and believes the Lakers have a chance to make it to the playoffs.
“We have a very good mix of young and veteran leadership,” Bryant said. “The challenge is going to be blending the two and cutting down the learning curve.”
