Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant is about to enter his 18th season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. While Kobe awaits the start of training camp for the Lakers on Sept. 28, the veteran shooting guard is making the rounds overseas with a stop in the Middle East.
Kobe sat down with Alaric Gomes of Gulfnews.com to talk about his career moving forward. Kobe was asked about the future and whether or not he’d ever play with another team in the NBA besides the Lakers:
“Sorry, I don’t see myself playing for anyone else.”
At this point in his career, Kobe playing for another team would be doubtful. Although Kobe is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, the team intends to re-sign the future Hall of Famer and Kobe has stated in the past that he’d like to stay in Los Angeles for the rest of his career.
Despite the fact that Kobe clearly states his intention to stay with the Lakers for the long haul, anything can happen in this league, especially with the team potentially struggling to bring in high-priced talent next summer. Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are both set to hit the free agent market next summer, along with Kobe, but both have indicated to a desire to stay with their current team.
Currently, there’s still no return date or timetable for Kobe’s recovery from surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles, the consensus as of right now is that he’ll return much earlier than anticipated and might continue to play at a high level.
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Lakers Nation Interviews Kobe Bryant: Camp Kobe, Pay Cuts, And Retirement
