Here we go again. It’s every Laker fan’s worst nightmare: Kobe Bryant talking about retirement.

During a wide-ranging interview with T.J. Simers, Kobe once again spoke about the possibility of leaving the game for good after one more year:

“Realistically I have only one year left, so I’m trying to enjoy myself.”

Welp.

While that’s not written in stone, it seems one thing is: he won’t be hanging around past his prime like Michael Jordan did:

He says he hasn’t decided when he will retire, but he knows fans won’t see him fade as they did when Michael Jordan played with Washington. “You didn’t have to see that version of Michael. He retired at 36 in Chicago at the top of his game. There’s a not a chance you’ll see me [like that].”

The Lakers aren’t even in the playoff picture right now – is is worrying to Bryant that he might not win another ring?

When we move our chat to the end of his career, I ask him how he will feel if he doesn’t win another ring. “I can’t see that happening,” he says.

That might seem like a great deal of optimism for a team six games under .500, but Kobe himself puts it best:

“Someone has to win and why not me and the Lakers organization.”