Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant has ended speculation surrounding his playing future by announcing his retirement -- with a poem.
The Los Angeles Laker tweeted a link to his essay entitled "Dear Basketball", which he wrote for the Players' Tribute website. It proved so popular, the site crashed shortly after.
Across two decades Bryant earned two Olympic gold medals, five championship rings and 17 All-Star selections. He's also scored more than 32,000 points on the court, including an 81-point game that ranks as the second-best in NBA history.
Injury and controversy
Bryant had said several times in recent weeks that he was considering making his 20th NBA season his last, as he struggles through the worst season of his illustrious career with the young and rebuilding Lakers.
The team is mired at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, with Bryant shooting a career-worst 32 per cent. Injuries have also limited him to 41 of a possible 164 games in the previous two seasons.
In June, new Lakers signing Larry Nance Jr. joined the team on an awkward note after it was revealed he had posted a tweet three years earlier labelling Bryant a "rapist".
In 2003, Bryant faced sexual assault allegations after an incident with a staff member at a Colorado hotel. The charges were dropped a year later and he settled a civil lawsuit with his accuser. But the case saw Bryant's public image take a hit, with sponsorship deals also falling by the wayside.
Bryant previously signed a two-year deal with the LA Lakers, which is up after this season.
