Editor's note: This story was originally published on Nov. 6, 2015. Saturday is the 25th anniversary of the 1996 NBA draft.
Picture this: It's another steamy June day in 2016. The streets of Newark are eerily empty at lunchtime. Most are glued to televisions to watch a live news conference held inside the city's downtown basketball arena.
With the rapid clickclickclick of shutters from photographers' cameras, he walks in with his familiar swagger-filled strut. Dressed in a splendid gray suit, he's accompanied by his wife, Vanessa, his children and family.
After 20 seasons and arguably the greatest basketball career the New York metropolitan area has ever seen, Kobe Bryant is ready to announce his retirement as the greatest New Jersey Net of all time.