LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant reportedly told head coach Byron Scott that he was retiring in the middle of a game.
According to Scott, Bryant told him about his retirement decision during the third quarter of the Lakers loss against the Trail Blazers last Saturday.
“I said, KB, I played you 20 minutes in the 1st half, I’m going to cut those minutes down. I’ve got to cut them down,” Scott says he told Bryant.
Kobe informed Byron he was going to retire during last Saturday’s game in Portland: Byron “It was probably the weirdest game I eve coached.”
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 4, 2015
Bryant reportedly stunned Scott with his response of, “That’s good coach. That’s all right, I’m going to announce my retirement after the game.”
Scott was one of the first people Bryant told.
The next afternoon following the Trail Blazers game, Bryant announced his retirement through a poem the Players Tribune.