Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) walks on the floor during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. AP FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES — NBA star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers says he has decided to retire after this season.
The 37-year-old Bryant made the announcement in a post on The Players’ Tribune on Sunday. The decision was not totally unexpected, given that Bryant has said many times in recent weeks that he was considering making his 20th NBA season his last.
There’s no more wondering now.
After two decades, two Olympic gold medals, five championship rings, 17 All-Star selections, an 81-point game that ranks as the second-best in NBA history and more than 32,000 points, Bryant’s career is officially winding down.
“This season is all I have left to give,” Bryant said in what he called a letter entitled “Dear Basketball.”