Kobe Bryant, who announced his retirement on Sunday via love poem to basketball on the Players’ Tribune website, will indeed go down as one of the most divisive players in NBA history. Depending on where you sit, he’s either one of the handful of great scorers and winners, or he’s selfish and demeaning to his teammates. (Probably a bit of both?) Some people soured on him after he was arrested and charged with sexual assault in 2003, though that case was eventually dismissed. In spite of that scandal, he’s still beloved the world over: at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, for example, he was feted by his fans in China, as some kind of Beatles/Michael Jackson combo.
Seems everyone has an opinion about Bryant, which makes him one of the more compelling athletes of our time. Here’s a safe bet: Bryant might be retiring from basketball, but he won’t disappear.
That’s either great news, or a pain, depending on your take on Bryant. He’s a student of excellence: he once spent time asking Jackson how he approached making music, and applied Jackson’s discipline to his own craft. He made a movie, Kobe Bryant’s Muse, that came out earlier this year. While the film at times lapsed into predictable hagiography, it had its raw and engaging moments. By all accounts, Bryant tinkered with even the most minute details.
He’s not the kind of guy who will just license his name to a steakhouse and not care about the food. Jordan, for example, retreated to the golf course for years. And though he eventually bought the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, he lays relatively low. Bryant’s more curious. He hasn’t played much golf — here’s hoping he avoids that jock retirement cliche altogether. Part of him wishes he went to college. During his rookie year in Los Angeles, after he decided to skip college for the pros, he’d drive around the campus of UCLA, watching kids his age have fun, wondering if he was missing out and feeling bad about himself. He wants to learn.
Bryant could write a hell of a memoir. Phil Jackson has dished on Kobe in his books. Payback time. (And watch out, Shaq). He’d make a heck of a TV analyst. He’s refreshingly honest, and has a photographic hoops memory. He’d make a good coach. He’d have to work on his patience with players, but Bryant would sweat the particulars and earn respect. If anything, Bryant has the strong voice all coaches need. Bryant will take a big swing at doing something meaningful, no matter what form it eventually takes.
His game looks shot: Bryant’s airballs are now a SportsCenter staple, like his baseline fadeaways (swish!) once were. Though even if he keeps playing badly, and joins the long line of athletes who looked like a shell of themselves in their final year —Willie Mays, Muhammad Ali, Jerry Rice — that’s quite alright. He on-court reputation has long been secured. One old-guy year gets a free pass.
Bryant’s basketball is almost irrelevant. His next act will be far more impactful.
See the Major Turning Points of Kobe Bryant’s Career, in Pictures
Kobe Bryant poses for a portrait after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 26, 1996. He joined the NBA straight out of high school, and was immediately traded to the Lakers in a previously-agreed deal between the two teams.Andy Hayt—NBAE/Getty ImagesBryant rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves in his first regular season game at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 3, 1996. At the time, he became the youngest-ever player to play in an NBA game.Andrew D. Bernstein—NBAE/Getty ImagesBryant's first big test came against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on May 12,1997. Faced with a must-win fifth game in Round 2 of the Western Conference Playoffs, the young rookie "airballed" four crucial shots — including a game-winner in the fourth quarter and three three-pointers in overtime — as the Lakers were knocked out. Andy Hayt—NBAE/Getty ImagesBryant's real emergence as a budding star came in his second season, when he became the youngest starter in an NBA All-Star Game in New York's Madison Square Garden on Feb 8., 1998. He had already begun to elicit comparisons to Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, seen here driving past him.Mike Segar—ReutersBryant (left) holds the Larry O'Brian trophy as teammate Shaquille O'Neal holds the MVP trophy after winning their first NBA Championship against the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 19, 2000. It would be the first of three consecutive titles for the star duo. AFP/Getty ImagesBryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O'Neal celebrate their win over the New Jersey Nets in Game four of the 2002 NBA Finals at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. on June 12, 2002. Bryant, aside from further cementing his superstar status, became the youngest player to win three NBA titles.Jesse D. Garrabrant—NBAE/Getty ImagesBryant stands next to his teammate Shaquille O'Neal during game 1 of the Western Conference Finals during the 2002 NBA Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at the Arco Arena in Sacramento on May 18, 2002. The duo would be continue their dominance of the NBA, with the 2002 Championship being the last they'd win together. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, while Bryant signed a new seven-year contract with the Lakers.Rocky Widner—NBAE/Getty ImagesBryant cries as he admits to
adultery in front of his wife Vanessa at a press conference in Los Angeles on July
18, 2003. The Laker guard's off-court troubles that season, which included an arrest for sexual assault, somewhat tarnished his growing reputation.Lucy Nicholson—ReutersBryant drives past Toronto Raptors' Jalen Rose and Chris Bosh in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2006, en route to scoring a career-high 81 points. The performance was not only the best-ever by a Laker, but also the second-highest score in a single game in the NBA.Matt A. Brown—APThree years later, Bryant set another individual one-game record when he scored 61 points against the New York Knicks at their Madison Square Garden arena on Feb. 2, 2009 — the most points ever scored in a game at the iconic Manhattan venue. Kathy Willens—APKobe Bryant raises the NBA championship trophy in front of a poster of himself on the Staples Center during a victory parade for the teams 16th NBA title in Los Angeles on June 21, 2010. His fifth and final title, following a hard-fought seven-game Finals against the Boston Celtics, was — in his words — the most satisfying of them all.Richard Vogel—APKobe Bryant during a game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Moda Center on Nov. 28, 2015 — his last game before announcing that he would retire at the end of the season. David Blair—AP