How did Kobe Bryant change upon realizing that his NBA career was ending? Although Michael Jordan and LeBron James are usually the only two players mentioned in the infamous GOAT discussion, an argument could also be made for Bryant.
After all, he is widely regarded by many basketball community members as one of the hardest-working and skilled players in the league’s history. Bryant played in the NBA for 20 seasons, becoming the first guard to do so.
Although Bryant won five NBA championships and had an illustrious career with the Los Angeles Lakers, his final season in the league was different from the others.
Kobe Bryant Finally ‘Lightened Up’ During Farewell Tour, Per Lou Williams
All players and fans who knew Bryant will agree that he had an intense personality and was a fierce competitor. The “Black Mamba” hated to lose and expected perfection from his teammates and, more importantly, himself.
Former NBA star Lou Williams had the opportunity to play against and alongside Bryant during the last few seasons of the Lakers legend’s career. During a recent episode of Gilbert Arenas’ “Gil’s Arena” podcast, Williams went into detail on the subject.
After 19 long seasons in the NBA, Bryant’s injuries finally began to catch up to him. Williams revealed that a handful of games into the 2015-16 season was all Bryant needed to realize that an inevitable end to his career was approaching. That realization also brought about a change to his personality and approach to the game of basketball.
Lou Williams talks about Kobe Bryant’s Farewell Tour on @GilsArenaShow pic.twitter.com/WxWUJKoZFq
— Underdog (@Underdog) June 14, 2025
“First, I wanna say this,” Williams began. “24 started that season as Kobe Bryant. Training camp, he was pushing everybody. He was getting his body ready. He was getting his mind ready. He was making sure we all was on the same page.
“And then as I remember it, I feel like nine, 10 games in, his body started breaking down, and he came to the realization that this was the end, and his mentality shifted. He became a lot lighthearted. He became more easygoing.”
The former NBA star concluded, “And I knew at that point, he had kinda taken his foot off the gas, like he knew his body wasn’t gonna hold up to the standard that he had set for himself.”
Given Bryant’s well-known mentality, one can only imagine how difficult it was for the five-time NBA champion to accept that he could no longer sustain the level of excellence that he expected from himself. As soon as Bryant realized this, the other members of the Lakers accepted that Bryant’s final season would be a farewell tour.
A farewell tour is simply the final season of a legend’s career. Every franchise across the NBA would acknowledge him for his contribution to the game of basketball and applaud him instead of viewing him as a rival or enemy.
Perhaps Bryant might have had a slightly longer career had he not overworked and trained his body beyond a certain point. In any case, the Lakers were more than willing to give up a season of contending to pay homage to Bryant and the five titles he delivered to the historic franchise.
