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Kobe Bryant talks retirement, says he tried hard to not 'play like crap'

USA TODAY Sports

So Kobe Bryant had another tough night by the numbers — 4-of-20 from the floor and 2-of-7 from three-point range for 13 points — but he was in good spirits after Sunday's game, a 107-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (left) talks to his family in the stands including wife Vanessa Bryant in the second half of a basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center.

It was another loss for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are now 2-14 on the season. But the evening was all about Bryant, who announced earlier in the day that this would be his final season.

There was a flash of Kobe past, on a three-pointer to bring the Lakers to within one at 104-103 with 12 seconds left in the game. The move brought the roaring home crowd to its feet.

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Then there was a flash of Kobe present, missing a shot that could've tied the game with seven seconds left, and the crowd groaned. His shooting percentage has been in the low 30s all season, something that he said was disappointing but had also helped him make his decision to say this is his last season.

"I've worked really, really, hard to try not to play like crap and I'm doing everything I possibly can," Bryant said. "And I feel good about that."

Up next is the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center in a game that suddenly becomes a hot ticket. It's the last game for Bryant in the city where he played high school basketball, against a team that is one loss away from setting an NBA record for worst start to a season. The Sixers are 0-18, tied with the 2009-10 Brooklyn Nets for the worst start in NBA history.

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Bryant's Lakers also need a win and ironically, if they get it, they will be the team that hands Philadelphia the new NBA record for worst start after being the team that, when they lost to Golden State on Nov. 24, was the team that gave the Warriors the NBA's best-ever start.

But Bryant was more reflective than forward-looking. He said his family was torn on the retirement announcement, knowing basketball has been his life. Then again, they're excited about him being around more.

"I've known for a while," Bryant said. "Finally I had to accept the fact that I don't want to do this anymore and I'm OK with that. Once I accepted that, it took a weight off my shoulders."

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Bryant said that he has kept pushing and pushing to try to get his game right, but that it just wasn't happening.

Paul George, who admitted before the game Bryant had been his idol, was outstanding Sunday. He had 39 points and kept the Lakers from making a run at the end by hitting crucial free throws in the closing seconds.

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