Kobe Bryant said he'll never play for another NBA team
After scoring 18 points against the Brooklyn Nets in the Los Angeles Lakers' first win of the season Friday night, Kobe Bryant said he'd never play for another team.
"I've said it so many times. I'm here, I'm a Laker for life," the 17-time All Star said. "I'm not playing anywhere else, no matter what. It's just not going to happen. I bleed purple and gold, and that's just how it's going to be."
Former coach Phil Jackson, now president of the New York Knicks, had suggested otherwise in September. Bryant has not said whether he'll retire after this season, the last in his deal with the Lakers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.