Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is currently playing his 20th season with the franchise and following their first win of the season last Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, he said he will be staying with the team and will not go anywhere.
Before the season began, there had been talks that Bryant would be playing his last season with the Lakers but would not retire and likely play somewhere else to end his career.
But the 37-year-old basketball star told reporters after the win over Brooklyn, "How many times do I need to say it? God. I've said it so many times ... I'm here. I'm a Laker for life. I'm not playing anywhere else, no matter what."
He added, "It's not going to happen. I bleed purple and gold, and that's just how it's going to be."
The statement was also an answer for the rumors that he will leave Los Angeles to be with former head coach Phil Jackson, who is the current New York Knicks president, and former teammate and good friend Derek Fisher, who is New York's current head coach, the New York Post reported.
Unfortunately, despite Bryant expressing loyalty to the Lakers, he was unable to guide the team to its second victory this 2015–16 season as they fell to the Knicks Sunday, 99–95.
The five-time champion along with center Roy Hibbert tried capture the win as each scored a team-leading 18 points, but it was not enough as Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks notched their third win in seven games.
Anthony led the Knicks with 24 points, eight rebounds, and two assists playing 35 minutes against the Lakers.
Helping him were big men Robin Lopez and 2015 fourth overall pick Kristaps Porzingis who had double-double performances.
Lopez tallied 14 points and 13 rebounds while Porzingis recorded 12 points with 10 rebounds.
The loss gave the Lakers a terrible 1–5 record to open the season and will try to get their second win taking on the Miami Heat this Tuesday.
