With 26 games left on the schedule for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, he is entering the final stretch of his NBA career with a lot of his peers in the league sharing their experiences and admiration for the five-time NBA champion.
Veteran guard Kevin Martin of the Minnesota Timberwolves is one of the latest to share his thoughts about the future Hall of Famer. Martin has faced Bryant numerous times over the years while playing his entire career in the Western Conference.
Along with a memorable experience as a rookie going up against Bryant in the preseason with Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times, Martin talked about what the NBA will be like after Kobe officially retires after this season:
“It will be like we are losing an ambassador of the game,” he said. “So you always want to think of guys like him and play in their honor after they are done and just realize you can’t take anything for granted when it comes to this game.”
With few NBA players in the past accomplishing as much as Bryant has over the course of two decades, the Lakers star stepping away this year will have a profound impact on the league.
In Kobe’s final stretch, the Lakers have 16 homes games and 10 games away from the Staples Center. Bryant’s last game will take place in Los Angeles with the Lakers hosting the Utah Jazz on April 13.
