Location
by Kobe Bryant says this absolutely
could be his last NBA season, but
the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar
says he has not made a final
decision.
Bryant, 36, told Yahoo Sports in a
phone interview on Tuesday
during a business trip to China
that he won’t decide whether he
will retire until after the
upcoming NBA season.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football:
Sign up and join a league today!]
Coming off another season cut
short because of injury – a torn
rotator cuff – the 17-time All-Star
covered a variety of topics in a
Q&A with Yahoo Sports.
Q: Lakers general manager Mitch
Kupchak has hinted that next
season can be your last. Could it
be?
Kobe: “We haven’t set anything in
stone and I’ve talked about it
before. But could this be the last
[season]? Absolutely. It’s tough to
decide. It’s really tough to make
those types of decisions. Players I
have spoken to say, ‘Kobe you
will know.’
“I’m making this very simple.
Either I like playing the game and
going through this process or I
don’t. I try to strip it down to the
simplest form. Either I like playing
some more or I don’t. But I think
that decision needs to be made
after the season. It’s hard to
make a decision like that before
the season.”
Q: Would you want a farewell
tour?
Kobe: “It’s hard to do that type of
stuff because I don’t know if I’m
going to retire or not. It’s not a
swan song when it all has not
been written.”
Q: How does your body feel now
and what is the difference
between now and entering
training camp last season?
Kobe: “The body is good. I feel
good. … My lower body is solid.
There are no question marks on
what I can do. 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.
I’ve been kind of building up the
upper body strength. The biggest
change is I feel very, very solid in
my legs.”
Q: Why do you still put your body
through this after all the years
and injuries?
Kobe: “I’m crazy. Ha, ha, ha. I love
playing. I enjoy it. It’s weird. You
go from as a kid loving the game,
thinking you will be able to play
forever to being where I am now
and understanding there is some
finality to it.
“It’s amazing to take a step back
and look at that art. You’re kind
of the opposite of starting out as
a kid. You’re sitting here at 36
and soon to be 37 years old, it’s
amazing.”
[Play a Daily Fantasy baseball
contest for cash today!]
Q: How do you fight the pain and
do the needed rehabilitation?
Kobe: “I just go. Once I make the
decision I am going to take this
challenge on, I never waver and I
never question the investment. I
already made the decision. You
have those painful moments, but
you just keep on moving.”
Q: When you see the mammoth
money that could be available to
you as a free agent next summer,
does that make it more attractive
to continue playing?
Kobe: “Zero. Zero. I’ve never
played for the money. It’s never
moved me. Money can come and
go. I have a perspective about
finances. The family is fine. What
is more money going to bring
other than more money? I have
my family, I have my health and
we’re comfortable financially and
that is a massive blessing.
“I don’t want to undervalue the
importance of generating any
type of whatever. I don’t want to
make it sound like I’m
underappreciative of that or not
thankful for that. But at the same,
what is really important? What is
the important thing? I never
played for money. When I laced
my sneakers up when I was a kid
in Italy I wasn’t thinking about
money. I had no idea how much
Magic [Johnson] or [Larry] Bird
got paid. I played it because I
loved it.”
Q: What do you think about the
state of the Lakers right now?
Kobe: “They have really set
themselves up for a promising
future going on years. I think
they drafted very well. The free
agents that we picked are
extremely solid, [Roy] Hibbert,
[Brandon] Bass, Lou [Williams].
We have a very good mix of
young and veteran leadership.
The challenge is going to be
blending the two and cutting
down the learning curve.
“How quickly can we get going?
How quickly can we bring up
[rookie D’Angelo] Russell, [Julius]
Randle. [Jordan] Clarkson got
valuable experience last year in
playing that will benefit us
tremendously. I’m looking
forward to it. I’m looking
forward to running with these
young guns.”
Q: Can this Lakers team make the
playoffs?
Kobe: “Of course it can.
Absolutely. We have talented
players in their respective
positions. We have some really
young players. How exactly will
the pieces of the puzzle fit? We
really don’t know. We are going
to [training] camp trying to piece
this together just like every other
team does. We have to figure out
what our strengths are, figure
out what our weaknesses are.
And every time we step on the
court we are going to try to hide
our weaknesses and step up to
our strengths.”
Q: What do you think about
playing small forward?
Kobe: “I don’t see what the big
deal is about it, honestly. What
does that even mean anyway?
Everyone plays [expletive] small
ball anyway. You got forwards
that play like [guards]. [Centers]
that play like [small forwards].
What’s the difference? Find me
some actual [small forwards] and
[power forwards] that actually
post up now and then. …
“What difference does it make?
Everyone is spreading the floor
anyways unless you’re the
Memphis Grizzlies.”
Q: After growing up in Italy and
spending time in China, could
you see yourself ending your
career playing at either place?
Kobe: “I can see myself doing
that. I can see myself doing a lot
of stuff. That’s a whole other
question. I will make some
decisions when I decide to hang
it up.”
Q: Will there be a minute
restriction for you during games
next season?
Kobe: “Maybe. I don’t know. It
will be a game-by-game basis.
I’m comfortable with whatever,
flexible with whatever. We will
make that decision game-to-
game. We’ll listen to the training
staff. I’ve been really good about
listening to my body.”
Q: What are your two daughters
saying about you continuing to
play now?
Kobe: “They want me home
more. I love being around them.
But they understand the sadness
about it, too. They understand
that you’ve been playing this
since you were a kid and it could
all be over. It’s like, ‘Whoa, that’s
crazy.’ To them, they know me as
‘Dad.’ They see me workout. They
see me train. They see the effort I
put in. But I’m always Dad to
them. If I try to show them how
to make a move, they are like,
‘Dad, seriously?’ [Like] I don’t
know what I’m talking about. I’m
just Dad. It’s awesome.”
Q: Alibaba Group, a Chinese
company, will release your
documentary, “Kobe Bryant’s
Muse,” on Saturday. Alibaba
Pictures will also work with Kobe,
Inc. to create a series of Kobe-
branded products that will be
accessed by more than 350
million people across China. What
are you hoping to do with this
venture?
Kobe: “I want to create
compelling stories that inspire
people. It’s pretty
straightforward. The first action
is inspiration and then from the
inspiration you create services
and products that enable people
to reach what they are
passionate about. It’s about
passion. But the root of what it’s
about is an idea, a journey. That’s
what we are about at Kobe, Inc.”
Q: What will your first project
with Alibaba be?
Kobe: “Well, the Muse film was
the first product. We are in China
right now and we just had a
private screening with select film
students, athletes and other
influentials. We have a
partnership with Sina, where we
are starting a new streaming
service called the TMall Magic Box.
The ‘Muse’ film launches across
mainland China on the 8th [of
August].”
Q: What was the inspiration for
you to be involved with a
possibly next-level venture in
China?
Kobe: “Particularly when the
Achilles’ injury happened [in April
2013] I was thinking, ‘My career
can be over like now.’ You know
as a young player that you can’t
play basketball forever. So I was
constantly thinking and reading
and learning, thinking about
business, so forth and so on, but
never really actually letting the
rubber hit the road. You’re like,
‘I’ll get to it. I’ll get to it.’ But when
the Achilles’ happened, I was like,
‘I need to do something.’ Then
you start thinking, ‘Exactly what
are you going to do? Exactly
what is it?’
“I didn’t allow myself to fall into
the trap of ‘what industry is the
most lucrative?’ What industry
can I create the most revenue
from?’ And that’s completely the
wrong way to look at it. I took a
step back and said, ‘What do you
love to do? I love inspiring. I love
telling stories. Let’s do that.’ How
do you build a business off of
that? I don’t know, but we will
figure it out. We have a focused
plan, and we are off and running
now.”
Q: Is there anything else you
think you would like to get
involved in when your career is
over?
Kobe: “No. No. We’re very, very
focused [on our current venture].
That is the hard thing. There are
so many things you can do, so
many different ideas. You can go
a billion different ways with
partners and all kinds of stuff. I
believe in having a focus, having
a purpose and we have that
focus and now it’s time to
execute. This week is a big
launcher of Kobe, Inc. We are in
business here.”
could be his last NBA season, but
the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar
says he has not made a final
decision.
Bryant, 36, told Yahoo Sports in a
phone interview on Tuesday
during a business trip to China
that he won’t decide whether he
will retire until after the
upcoming NBA season.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football:
Sign up and join a league today!]
Coming off another season cut
short because of injury – a torn
rotator cuff – the 17-time All-Star
covered a variety of topics in a
Q&A with Yahoo Sports.
Q: Lakers general manager Mitch
Kupchak has hinted that next
season can be your last. Could it
be?
Kobe: “We haven’t set anything in
stone and I’ve talked about it
before. But could this be the last
[season]? Absolutely. It’s tough to
decide. It’s really tough to make
those types of decisions. Players I
have spoken to say, ‘Kobe you
will know.’
“I’m making this very simple.
Either I like playing the game and
going through this process or I
don’t. I try to strip it down to the
simplest form. Either I like playing
some more or I don’t. But I think
that decision needs to be made
after the season. It’s hard to
make a decision like that before
the season.”
Q: Would you want a farewell
tour?
Kobe: “It’s hard to do that type of
stuff because I don’t know if I’m
going to retire or not. It’s not a
swan song when it all has not
been written.”
Q: How does your body feel now
and what is the difference
between now and entering
training camp last season?
Kobe: “The body is good. I feel
good. … My lower body is solid.
There are no question marks on
what I can do. 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.
I’ve been kind of building up the
upper body strength. The biggest
change is I feel very, very solid in
my legs.”
Q: Why do you still put your body
through this after all the years
and injuries?
Kobe: “I’m crazy. Ha, ha, ha. I love
playing. I enjoy it. It’s weird. You
go from as a kid loving the game,
thinking you will be able to play
forever to being where I am now
and understanding there is some
finality to it.
“It’s amazing to take a step back
and look at that art. You’re kind
of the opposite of starting out as
a kid. You’re sitting here at 36
and soon to be 37 years old, it’s
amazing.”
[Play a Daily Fantasy baseball
contest for cash today!]
Q: How do you fight the pain and
do the needed rehabilitation?
Kobe: “I just go. Once I make the
decision I am going to take this
challenge on, I never waver and I
never question the investment. I
already made the decision. You
have those painful moments, but
you just keep on moving.”
Q: When you see the mammoth
money that could be available to
you as a free agent next summer,
does that make it more attractive
to continue playing?
Kobe: “Zero. Zero. I’ve never
played for the money. It’s never
moved me. Money can come and
go. I have a perspective about
finances. The family is fine. What
is more money going to bring
other than more money? I have
my family, I have my health and
we’re comfortable financially and
that is a massive blessing.
“I don’t want to undervalue the
importance of generating any
type of whatever. I don’t want to
make it sound like I’m
underappreciative of that or not
thankful for that. But at the same,
what is really important? What is
the important thing? I never
played for money. When I laced
my sneakers up when I was a kid
in Italy I wasn’t thinking about
money. I had no idea how much
Magic [Johnson] or [Larry] Bird
got paid. I played it because I
loved it.”
Q: What do you think about the
state of the Lakers right now?
Kobe: “They have really set
themselves up for a promising
future going on years. I think
they drafted very well. The free
agents that we picked are
extremely solid, [Roy] Hibbert,
[Brandon] Bass, Lou [Williams].
We have a very good mix of
young and veteran leadership.
The challenge is going to be
blending the two and cutting
down the learning curve.
“How quickly can we get going?
How quickly can we bring up
[rookie D’Angelo] Russell, [Julius]
Randle. [Jordan] Clarkson got
valuable experience last year in
playing that will benefit us
tremendously. I’m looking
forward to it. I’m looking
forward to running with these
young guns.”
Q: Can this Lakers team make the
playoffs?
Kobe: “Of course it can.
Absolutely. We have talented
players in their respective
positions. We have some really
young players. How exactly will
the pieces of the puzzle fit? We
really don’t know. We are going
to [training] camp trying to piece
this together just like every other
team does. We have to figure out
what our strengths are, figure
out what our weaknesses are.
And every time we step on the
court we are going to try to hide
our weaknesses and step up to
our strengths.”
Q: What do you think about
playing small forward?
Kobe: “I don’t see what the big
deal is about it, honestly. What
does that even mean anyway?
Everyone plays [expletive] small
ball anyway. You got forwards
that play like [guards]. [Centers]
that play like [small forwards].
What’s the difference? Find me
some actual [small forwards] and
[power forwards] that actually
post up now and then. …
“What difference does it make?
Everyone is spreading the floor
anyways unless you’re the
Memphis Grizzlies.”
Q: After growing up in Italy and
spending time in China, could
you see yourself ending your
career playing at either place?
Kobe: “I can see myself doing
that. I can see myself doing a lot
of stuff. That’s a whole other
question. I will make some
decisions when I decide to hang
it up.”
Q: Will there be a minute
restriction for you during games
next season?
Kobe: “Maybe. I don’t know. It
will be a game-by-game basis.
I’m comfortable with whatever,
flexible with whatever. We will
make that decision game-to-
game. We’ll listen to the training
staff. I’ve been really good about
listening to my body.”
Q: What are your two daughters
saying about you continuing to
play now?
Kobe: “They want me home
more. I love being around them.
But they understand the sadness
about it, too. They understand
that you’ve been playing this
since you were a kid and it could
all be over. It’s like, ‘Whoa, that’s
crazy.’ To them, they know me as
‘Dad.’ They see me workout. They
see me train. They see the effort I
put in. But I’m always Dad to
them. If I try to show them how
to make a move, they are like,
‘Dad, seriously?’ [Like] I don’t
know what I’m talking about. I’m
just Dad. It’s awesome.”
Q: Alibaba Group, a Chinese
company, will release your
documentary, “Kobe Bryant’s
Muse,” on Saturday. Alibaba
Pictures will also work with Kobe,
Inc. to create a series of Kobe-
branded products that will be
accessed by more than 350
million people across China. What
are you hoping to do with this
venture?
Kobe: “I want to create
compelling stories that inspire
people. It’s pretty
straightforward. The first action
is inspiration and then from the
inspiration you create services
and products that enable people
to reach what they are
passionate about. It’s about
passion. But the root of what it’s
about is an idea, a journey. That’s
what we are about at Kobe, Inc.”
Q: What will your first project
with Alibaba be?
Kobe: “Well, the Muse film was
the first product. We are in China
right now and we just had a
private screening with select film
students, athletes and other
influentials. We have a
partnership with Sina, where we
are starting a new streaming
service called the TMall Magic Box.
The ‘Muse’ film launches across
mainland China on the 8th [of
August].”
Q: What was the inspiration for
you to be involved with a
possibly next-level venture in
China?
Kobe: “Particularly when the
Achilles’ injury happened [in April
2013] I was thinking, ‘My career
can be over like now.’ You know
as a young player that you can’t
play basketball forever. So I was
constantly thinking and reading
and learning, thinking about
business, so forth and so on, but
never really actually letting the
rubber hit the road. You’re like,
‘I’ll get to it. I’ll get to it.’ But when
the Achilles’ happened, I was like,
‘I need to do something.’ Then
you start thinking, ‘Exactly what
are you going to do? Exactly
what is it?’
“I didn’t allow myself to fall into
the trap of ‘what industry is the
most lucrative?’ What industry
can I create the most revenue
from?’ And that’s completely the
wrong way to look at it. I took a
step back and said, ‘What do you
love to do? I love inspiring. I love
telling stories. Let’s do that.’ How
do you build a business off of
that? I don’t know, but we will
figure it out. We have a focused
plan, and we are off and running
now.”
Q: Is there anything else you
think you would like to get
involved in when your career is
over?
Kobe: “No. No. We’re very, very
focused [on our current venture].
That is the hard thing. There are
so many things you can do, so
many different ideas. You can go
a billion different ways with
partners and all kinds of stuff. I
believe in having a focus, having
a purpose and we have that
focus and now it’s time to
execute. This week is a big
launcher of Kobe, Inc. We are in
business here.”
