Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has conceded that the 2015-16 season could well be his last in the NBA.
The 36-year-old has been in the league for 19 seasons but has struggled for fitness in recent years, playing just 41 matches over the past two campaigns.
Bryant has revealed that he will make his decision at the end of the next campaign, but he has conceded that he is likely to call time on his career.
"We haven't set anything in stone, and I've talked about it before," Bryant told Yahoo Sports. "But could this be the last [season]? Absolutely. It's tough to decide. It's really tough to make those types of decisions. Players I have spoken to say, 'Kobe you will know.'
"I'm making this very simple. Either I like playing the game and going through this process or I don't. I try to strip it down to the simplest form.
"Either I like playing some more or I don't. But I think that decision needs to be made after the season. It's hard to make a decision like that before the season."
Bryant has been named an NBA All-Star 17 times in his career.
Simon Sinclair
