National Basketball Association

Kobe Bryant says he doesn't miss basketball, 'not even a little bit'

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:49 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The NBA’s regular season is in full swing and for the first time in 20 years, Kobe Bryant is nowhere to be found. Though the league might miss the Los Angeles Lakers icon, Bryant is more than content with his decision to call it a career.

In fact, Kobe claims he doesn’t miss the game at all.

"Not even a little bit," Bryant said Tuesday, via ESPN. "It's strange to think a couple years ago, to be in this emotional space would be unfathomable. But I mean not even a smidge, which I'm very thankful for, because it's made my transition seamless and I can really just watch and just enjoy the games."

And watch he has. Kobe has been very impressed by some of the individual performances we've already seen this season.

"Players have been playing phenomenally well, which is rare. Normally at the start of the season you kind of have to work yourself into a rhythm. This year they just came out of the gates smoking. That's rare."

It's odd to hear one of the greatest competitors the NBA has ever seen sound so comfortable in retirement. But Kobe received virtually every individual accolade the league has to offer. He had to have known his playing days were over after being limited by injuries his final three seasons.