KOBE BRYANT ANNOUNCES HE'S RETIRING AFTER THIS SEASON

KOBE BRYANT ANNOUNCES HE'S RETIRING AFTER THIS SEASON

Kobe Bryant has announced that this season, his 20th in the NBA, will be his last. And with that, the popularity of the recently unveiled Nike Kobe XI just skyrocketed.

The 17-time All Star and five time NBA champion revealed his retirement plan via a poem which was posted on The Player's Tribune website.

    You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream

    And I’ll always love you for it.

    But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.

    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.

    I want you to know now

    So we both can savor every moment we have left together.

    The good and the bad.

    We have given each other

    All that we have.

The news of Kobe's retirement is less shocking considering how poorly the Black Mamba, and the Lakers, have played this season. The 37-year old Bryant is averaging over 30 minutes per game, even with his recent string of injuries, and he's shooting a career-worst 31.5% from the field.

The Lakers will take on the Pacers tonight at the Staples Center, as Kobe's official 67-game count down begins. 

Stay tuned to hustleorstarve.blogspot.com

Ball!