#MambaThick: Kobe posts ‘dad-bod’ pic, deletes it soon after

Mamba with the post-and-delete 💀

A post shared by Bleacher Report (@bleacherreport) on Aug 1, 2017 at 3:14pm PDT

Aside from his unearthly talent on the basketball court, retired Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is perhaps best known for his relentless work ethic, staying in tip-top shape for most of his 20-year NBA career.

Over a year removed from professional basketball, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 38-year-old father of three gain some post-retirement weight.

Such was the case on Tuesday, (Wednesday in Manila) when the “Black Mamba” posted a shirtless photo of himself on his personal Instagram account.

The snap, which was originally published by TMZ Sports, featured the five-time NBA champion sporting a noticeably “beefier” physique than fans are accustomed to.

“Objects on camera may appear larger than they do in the mirror,” Bryant captioned the unflattering post, which he deleted soon after.

The Laker legend also hinted at going on a diet, as he wrote: “Gimme 30 days,” adding the hashtags: #challengeaccepted #mambathick and #mambabeast.

Netizens also managed to capture Bryant’s photo before it was deleted and began using the #mambathick hashtag.

Screen Grab from Twitter

In true Kobe-esque fashion, he responded with a follow-up post, hinting on a possible social media black-out. /ra

Mamba mode #blackout

A post shared by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Aug 1, 2017 at 2:31pm PDT