Kobe Bryant has had beef with ESPN in recent years and it was no different in the offseason when they ranked him as the 93rd best player.
However, as the Lakers start with 4 straight losses, the Black Mamba is the first to declare admit his shortcomings.
Is it time for him to retire? Will he ever be good again? These are the questions that ESPN's experts sought to answer.
Royce Webb, ESPN director of content analytics: "Apparently he is trying to prove he can still make difficult shots. That said, it's not clear that he can get easy shots. He's forcing the issue, particularly from long range, and that's killing his scoring efficiency. And scoring is pretty much all he has to offer the Lakers at this point."
Kobe's competitiveness is getting in the way of helping the team, especially with the development of rookie D'Angelo Russell. His dilemma is that he still has a tendency to take on a challenge but he simply does not have the explosiveness anymore.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN thinks Kobe can still help with a change of role.
"I think Bryant is right to consider becoming more of a facilitator, particularly with so many score-first guards currently surrounding him on the Lakers' roster. I'd also like to see him operate closer to the basket on a more regular basis. Post-ups may be a better vehicle for creating his own shot than isolations on the perimeter."
With all the adversity lodged against him, should he still try to stay beyond this season?
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: "He and the Lakers should consider the long-term interests of the franchise. Every summer is an opportunity to right the ship via free agency. The idea that they should just let Kobe do his thing until he's tired of doing it -- that just doesn't make sense. If Bryant can't become a complementary piece, he should quit after this season."
This is bound to be another forgettable season for the Lakers and this is why it's best for Kobe to retire. Otherwise, fans may no longer remember him for the great things that he brought to the franchise.