Kobe Bryant Announces Retirement: 'My Body Knows It's Time to Say Goodbye'

It’s the end of an era.

Penning a heartfelt piece titled “Dear Basketball,” Lakers legend and NBA great Kobe Bryant announced that he would be retiring after this season.

“You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream/and I’ll always love you for it,” Bryant wrote. “But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer/This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding/My mind can handle the grind/But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”

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After last night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant, who has been with the Lakers for 20 years, elaborated on his decision, said that he knew the time was right for him to leave because his mind had recently been wandering from the game, reports ESPN.

“A decision like this, you can’t make that decision based on outside circumstances,” the 37-year-old told reporters. “It has to be an internal decision, and finally, I’ve decided to accept that I can’t actually do this anymore, and I’m okay with that.”

We’ll miss you, Kobe!