Aaron Hope 
Kobe Bryant recently said he sees himself playing three to four more years for the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s enough time to match Michael Jordan’s championships and get in the Karl Malone/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar neighborhood in career scoring. The unceremonious end to Kobe’s 2012-13 season means he’ll have to fight uphill for these milestones, including coming back from the toughest injury from his career. Kobe’s in good spirits and taking advantage of the summer’s restorative powers (remember, he played straight through last year en route to a second Olympic gold), including enjoying the game of football that has influenced him since his childhood in Italy. Included in recent photos he’s tweeted from a soccer-centric vacation was a shot in the ‘Venice Beach’ Nike Kobe 8 alongside Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho and wearing the ‘Mambacurial’ in a shot posed with the CBF’s up and coming Leandro Damiao. Tons of foot power in this post, so click through for more images and stick with Sneaker News because the Kobe 9 isn’t too far off.
Photos: Kobe Bryant
