Kobe Bryant: ‘I’ve Failed’ If Basketball Is Biggest Accomplishment

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant says he’s motivated to make the next 20 years of his life better than his Hall of Fame basketball career.

On Monday, Samantha Pell of Yahoo Sports passed along comments Bryant made at ComplexCon 2017 about his focus after retiring from the NBA.

“Fast-forward 20 years from now: If basketball is the best thing I’ve done in my life, then I’ve failed,” he said. “It’s a very simple mission, very simple quest, very simple goal. These next 20 years need to be better than the previous 20. It’s as simple as that, and that is what drives me.”

                 

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Kobe Bryant Explains the Difference in Wearing No. 8 and No. 24 with Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant accumulated a Hall of Fame resume while wearing No. 8 and No. 24 during his playing career, but he said he was like “two different people” in the separate numbers.  

His comments came in a Monday interview alongside rapper Kendrick Lamar with Complex News.

Bryant suggested the No. 8 version of himself was “literally headhunting everyone” as he was finding his place in the league, while the No. 24 version “hit a certain maturity level” and asked, “How can I lead a group of guys to get to certain levels as a group?”

Bryant started his career in the No. 8 jersey but switched before the 2006-07 season. He played 10 seasons in each number, accumulating three championships in No. 8 and two championships in No. 24.

The version who was “headhunting” has the championship advantage—and also got to play alongside Shaquille O’Neal—but the No. 24 version won the 2007-08 MVP award, the only one Bryant won in his career.

If Bryant sees the two numbers as “different people,” it is only fitting the Lakers announced they will retire both during halftime of their Dec. 18 game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

“This honor is very well deserved,” Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson said in the announcement. “Kobe was one of the greatest Lakers and NBA players of all time, and he’s definitely on my Mount Rushmore. I look forward to seeing BOTH of his jerseys be retired and celebrating this special day with Kobe and his family.”

The former shooting guard will become the 10th Lakers player to have his jersey retired.

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LaVar Ball Says Lonzo ‘Can Be Bigger Than Kobe Bryant, by Far’

LaVar Ball once again set a high bar for one of his sons, this time saying Lonzo Ball can be bigger than one of the biggest stars in recent NBA history.

“He can be bigger than Kobe. By far,” the elder Ball told Rich Antoniello of Complex.

He also claimed “social media” would be the way for Lonzo to grow in popularity.

Ball is just nine games into his NBA career and has seen mixed success. He has filled up the box score while averaging 6.7 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game but ranks eighth on his team with just 8.8 points per game.

He has reached double figures just twice and is 3-of-17 shooting from the field in the last two games.

However, there are enormous expectations for Ball going forward as the No. 2 pick in the draft. His 29-11-9 stat line against the Phoenix Suns last month showcased his potential if he can gain some consistency.

Meanwhile, there is no question the point guard’s following is bigger than that of a normal rookie. His Twitter account has 520,000 followers, while his Instagram page is followed by 3.2 million people. Although it’s still quite not as high as Kobe Bryant (7.8 million on Instagram), it’s an impressive mark for a player just beginning his career.

Thanks to his standout play at UCLA and his outspoken father, Lonzo Ball entered the NBA as hyped as any rookie since probably LeBron James. Playing in a large market like Los Angeles should only help him grow his brand in the coming years.

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