Report: Kobe told Byron Scott he was announcing retirement during game

Published Dec. 4, 2015 4:29 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Traina

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott was the first to know that Kobe Bryant was going to hang it up after this season, but the way he found out was, in his words, shocking.

Scott told ESPN's Baxter Holmes that Bryant broke the news to him at the start of the third quarter during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers last Saturday.

According to the ESPN report, Scott told Kobe, "KB, I played you 20 minutes in the first half. I'm going to cut those minutes down. I've got to cut them down. He said, 'That's good, coach. That's all right. I'm going to announce my retirement after the game.' "

Technically, Kobe didn't officially make the announcement until Sunday when his poem to basketball was published on the Player's Tribune.

Regardless, Scott was still left floored by how Kobe dropped the info on him.

"I told him the next day, 'You know you shocked the s--t out of me when you told me that. He just started laughing. I said, 'You really did.' He said, 'I know. I could see it on your face.' "

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