LA Lakers Rumors: Kobe Bryant Up For Changing Positions – Is This His Final Year In The NBA?

For a few years now, Kobe Bryant has stated that the 2015-16 NBA season would be his final go-round with the LA Lakers and in all of professional basketball. Then, he would jokingly take it back, but the rumors are always there. As the new NBA season approaches, Bryant took the time to speak on a number of different topics, including possibly switching positions, but is this really his last season before retirement?

Now, Bryant isn’t speaking directly to the media about such things, but he did speak to Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti.

The Los Angeles Times spoke with Vitti about numerous subjects, and one of those was the addition of several young players and veterans in the past two years. Julius Randle was drafted last year, and now, the team has D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson too.

Kobe Bryant actually wanted to know how the young players were doing.

“He was asking about our young kids, and I said, ‘You cannot believe how quick and athletic Jordan Clarkson is. He looks fantastic.’ I said I personally thought D’Angelo Russell is going to be a star. He makes hard things look easy when he has the ball in his hands.”

Speaking of Clarkson and Russell, they are making for a crowded backcourt with the Lakers, and that includes Bryant and the recent addition of Lou Williams. With all the new faces around, Vitti even joked that Bryant may need to switch positions next season.

“Then Kobe said to me, ‘Well, then who’s going to play [small forward]?’ I looked at him and I said, ‘You.’ And with absolute, 100% confidence, he said, ‘I can do that.'”

That’s an interesting thought to have Kobe Bryant, known for being one of the premier shooting guards in the NBA, change positions. At random times, he has played the small forward position during his career, but never for long periods of time.

Lakers head coach Byron Scott has already confirmed that Bryant could end up having to move around or shift positions so that Russell and Clarkson can start in the backcourt. Anyone that has seen Bryant play, knows that he will still be as productive at small forward as he has been at shooting guard.

Kobe Bryant is entering his 20th season in the NBA, and he’s dealt with a number of injuries over the past couple of seasons. His minutes will likely be closely watched and managed, but is this going to be his final season?

Back in late June, Bryant did have some things to say about his time with the LA Lakers, aging, and possible retirement.

“It might be. You gotta retire sometime. Im not Benjamin Button, man,” Kobe said. #BETtalks

— janis carr (@janiscarr) June 28, 2015

When it comes to the final word on his decision, that is still to come.

Kobe says at the end of the upcoming season, if he feels like playing another season, he will. If not, he won’t.

— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) June 28, 2015

With that, Kobe Bryant is preparing for another season with the LA Lakers, but there is some talk that he doubts success can come with new additions Brandon Bass, Lou Williams, and Roy Hibbert. Either way, Bryant is going to play where he needs to play, and if this is his last season and he’s going to retire, then he’s going to retire.

[Photo By Stephen Dunn / Getty Images]