A lot of people hate Kobe.

A lot of people love Kobe.

A lot of people obsess over Kobe.

Whatever your thoughts about him personally, just know this he is not going down without a fight. I have said this for a couple of years, but the subtle decline is there because his body is breaking down.

If Kobe was just a regular athlete it wouldn’t be so subtle he would be in a major decline because after all those years in the NBA coupled with long post season runs, in NBA years he might as well be 40 years old.

But Kobe is not a regular athlete and it appears he is willing to do any and everything to make a final run, before there is nothing else he can do.

Bryant also visited the Bayer 04 soccer club’s new rehab center in early June to try out whole body cryotherapy, sitting in a chamber that dropped to minus-166 degrees Fahrenheit.

The goal is for the body to fight inflammation and feel invigorated by the process, which is somewhat like a fuller scale ice bath — and the device is currently not available in the United States.

The fact that it isn’t available is really all you need to know.

I would not be surprised if Kobe is currently looking for the hot tub time machine so he can go back to 2004.