Kobe Bryant on rumors that he would come out of retirement: 'Unfortunately for us athletes, we've been pigeonholed into thinking we can only be one thing'

When you saw the pained expressions on the faces of the Utah Jazz players, it felt like the legend of Kobe Bryant was only getting started.

In fact, it was his last NBA game. On April 13, 2016, No. 24 poured in a breathtaking 60 points. Although his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal challenged him before the game to score 50 points, and Bryant was hitting scintillating shots while holding the pose, which may have convinced you he had briefly reentered his prime, it was a wild way to say goodbye.

Knowing the relentless drive he nurtured and all that he had given to the game in the last 20 years, many wondered if the 6'6" guard could make the transition to life after basketball. He didn't just succeed after retiring from the NBA—he transcended another field.

On to bigger and better things

This was supposed to be the most trying time of Kobe's life. Like most ex-athletes who are religiously devout to their craft, many anticipated that the NBA icon would take a while to navigate his next steps.

Instead, for Bean, as soon as he walked away, he never looked back.

"There's about a zero percent chance I come back and play," Bryant told Rich Eisen in 2018. "Nothing … done … that's it."

The legendary guard had plenty going for him off the court. Under his own roof, he had his two daughters, Natalia and the late Giannia, both of whom kept their father busy with coaching basketball and attending games.

Kobe also had numerous endeavors, such as supporting women's sports, when he and his wife Vannessa donated $5000 to the Roseville basketball team in December 2019. And not to forget his most striking feat, winning an Oscar for producing the short film "Dear Basketball."