Vince Carter holds the record for the most seasons played in the NBA with 22.
LeBron James is about to tie that record, and chances are he’s also going to break it.
Still, Carter can brag about being the only player to make an appearance in four different decades (90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s), and it just felt like he was never going to walk away from the game.
Now, with his Hall of Fame induction right around the corner, the legendary wing admitted that he once reached out to Kobe Bryant to ask him about retirement (via Taylor Rooks and ClutchPoints).
“I struggled with the word retiring… I asked him about that word. How is it? He said, ‘It is the greatest thing ever, it’s the best feeling. You’re gonna enjoy it.'”
Vince Carter on a talk he had with Kobe Bryant before retirement.
(via @TaylorRooks)pic.twitter.com/tumE1Vw2qQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 30, 2024
Carter admitted that he struggled with the word retirement and wanted to get a glimpse of how Kobe was doing.
Kobe was known for his obsessive approach to the game, so his input was clearly big for a guy like Carter.
To his surprise, the Los Angeles Lakers legend told him that it was actually the greatest feeling in the world and that he would love it.
Truth be told, we got to see a version of Kobe after retirement that we had never seen before.
He finally allowed himself to show emotion other than anger and competitiveness, and he looked the happiest he had ever been, spending time with his daughters and working on countless projects.
It’s a shame that he was taken away from us at such a young age, but he can rest assured that his legacy will live on for as long as there’s a basketball player bouncing a ball somewhere around the world.
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