Back in November, Kobe Bryant surprised everyone by making the official announcement that this season would be his last in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar had been reluctant to make a decision on his future beyond this season, but chose to make his decision public.
Once Bryant’s retirement plans were made public, the focus of the season was Kobe’s farewell tour with developing players seemingly secondary.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Lakers legend Jamaal Wilkes talked about Bryant’s farewell tour. Wilkes believes the five-time NBA champion deserves to be honored, but also believes it has become a distraction:
"Iconic career.