粉絲團
Kobe確定在本季結束後，高掛球鞋退休。（資料照，美聯社）
〔體育中心／綜合報導〕近幾個球季洛杉磯湖人歷經掙扎，難以叩關季後賽，距強隊之林越來越遠，紫金軍的「老大」Kobe Bryant亦受傷勢所苦，不復以往身手。Kobe曾言將在本季結束後高掛球鞋，稍早他於《The Player's Tribune》上宣布，確定在球季走完後，生涯畫上句點。
Kobe在《The Player's Tribune》寫下，「是時候告別，我沒有留下一絲遺憾，滿是你們對我的關愛，這滿溢的愛令我付出所有，傾盡全力將意志、身軀與靈魂灌注。」（ I fell in love with you. A love so deep I gave you my all -From my mind & bodyTo my spirit & soul.）
37歲的Kobe本季可拿下15.7分4.1籃板3.4助攻，也是他在湖人的第20個球季。Kobe是史上效力單一球隊最久的球員，球員生涯共拿下5座冠軍、並留下單場81分等紀錄。1996進入聯盟的Kobe退役，象徵一個時代的終結。
Kobe引退全文：
Dear Basketball
From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.
As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.
And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.
I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.
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.
And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1
Love you always,
Kobe
