Kobe Bryant finally saw what everyone else has seen, finally understood what everyone else had known.
His unbreakable body is broken. His eternal skills have left him. Fifteen games into his 20th year, it was clear this was going to be his final NBA season whether he accepted it or not.
On Sunday, he accepted it, the invincible Laker finally surrendering to his basketball mortality by officially announcing he would retire at the end of this season, completing a memorable journey by one of the greatest figures in the history of Los Angeles sports.