Kobe Bryant once scoffed surrounding questions on his demise.
He took offense when the media suggested his game went on the decline. Or that his remaining seasons have become numbered. Or that he could not overcome his latest injury.
As Bryant has gone on his farewell tour in his 20th and final NBA season, however, he has embraced it.
Bryant has lamented with humor the never-ending recovery process just to step on the court. He has acknowledged his physical limitations. Bryant laughed when Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade hosted a dinner for him during All-Star Weekend where the pair of friends gave him gifts poking fun at his age. And in his Bryant’s latest ad for Apple TV, the theme surrounds how the old man can no longer do what he once could.
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