After a poor start to his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant was heavily criticized for his shot selection and how he should take a step back for the young core of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson.
With Kobe announcing his retirement on Nov. 30, he has regained his form and the farewell tour is in full effect. Since head coach Byron Scott began to limit the five-time champion to 30 minutes on most nights, his shot selection and efficiency has improved.
While Kobe is still shooting 34.5 percent on the season, he is shooting over 50 percent in his last four games.
Following his 31-point performance against the Denver Nuggets, Kobe was asked if he is rethinking retirement. Despite his strong play, Kobe says he has ‘zero’ thoughts according to LakersNation.com reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe was asked yet again if nights like tonight make him re-think retirement. The answer is no, "not even an inkling."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 23, 2015
While Kobe has made adjustments to his game, Father Time is still undefeated. When taking into account the three consecutive season-ending injuries, Kobe appears to be at peace with his decision regardless of how he performs on the basketball court.
With 54 games remaining in the season, the hope is for Kobe to retire on his own terms. As long as Scott continues to limit his minutes, Kobe will have an opportunity to play at a high level and reduce his risk of sustaining another injury.
In 24 games, Kobe is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.