It's no secret that Kobe Bryant isn't having the best of seasons at the moment.
Coming off last season's injury shortened campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers icon is averaging just 15 points per game on an abysmal 31% field goal percentage. His true shooting percentage of .415 is dead last among the 775 individual seasons where a player has averaged 16 or more field goal attempts a game.
The low point of Kobe's early season thus far was last Wednesday, when the Lakers we're blown out 111-77 by their division rivals the Golden State Warriors. The win will be remembered as the time the Warriors went 16-0 to set the all-time record for best start, but Kobe himself etched his name in the record books.
His 1-14 shooting performance tied a career worst, while the team as a whole had the dubious distinction of being the first ever Lakers unit to never have an 11 point scorer in a single game.
Kobe's historically bad play has some wondering whether it's time for the Black Mamba to call it a career.
Speaking with the LA Times, hall of famer Charles Barkley said:
"Somebody asked me how I knew it was time to retire, I said because I was pump-faking. So now I see Kobe and he's pump-faking because he's scared they are going to block his shot. That's what the pump-faking is. People are knocking your shot into the stands. Kobe can't get open shots. He can't go around people to get layups. It's hard to make contested shots."
Additionally, an anonymous NBA scout told the paper, that seeing Kobe play in his current state was "disgusting" and that he had nothing left.
What do you think? Is it time for Kobe to pack it up?
