Kobe Bryant is once again in the limelight, more because the Los Angeles Lakers were finally able to break into the win column. The attention shifted to the Black Mamba mainly because he was able to come up with perhaps his best performance thus far this season by ending up with 18 markers.

With that production, Bryant has once again poured water on the fire as far as critics taking a hit on the 37-year-old star are concerned by showing that given time, he can indeed break out of his slump.

Of course, one game doesn't change anything and for the detractors to lay off Bryant's back, it will need more similar performances (if not better) and, more importantly, seeing progress in Lakers' performance in the current season.

Fast forwarding to the Summer of 2016, Bryant was yet again thrown with the question on whether he would retire or play on. And his answers were pretty much the same like before and once again emphasizing that he is a 'Laker for life'.

"I'm not playing anywhere else, no matter what," Bryant said, as reported by ESPN, after their win against the Brooklyn Nets. "It's just not going to happen. I bleed purple and gold, and that's just how it's going to be," he added. 

Apparently, most people were trying to goat Bryant into revealing something, tied up perhaps with his former coach Phil Jackson's belief that Bryant is unlikely to hang it all up after this season.

Right now, Bryant doesn't seem to be thinking of that and what is more important is finishing this season as a whole. He has yet to complete a regular one for the past two seasons and, apparently, that is the goal in his mind.

As to what he plans after this season? The only thing certain is in the event that he does continue to play, his jersey will still be in purple and gold.