Kobe addresses retirement: 'Had to accept that I don't want to do this anymore'

Kobe Bryant said Sunday that he hasn't considered retiring immediately as opposed to waiting until the end of the season.

The reason? The future Hall of Famer has developed an appreciation for the struggle Father Time has wrought.

"There's so much beauty in the pain of this thing," Bryant said following the Lakers' loss to the Indiana Pacers, only hours after announcing to the world that this season will be his last. "I see the beauty in not being able to blow past defenders any more."

Related: Basketball world reacts to Kobe's retirement announcement

Bryant, who held court with the media for roughly 30 minutes to discuss his decision to call it a career after two decades with the purple and gold, said he is at peace with his decision, and doesn't feel sadness at the moment.

"I had to accept the fact I don't want to do this any more," the 37-year-old said. "And I'm okay with that."

The Black Mamba also acknowledged his poor play this season:

"I have worked really, really hard, even though I'm playing like shit. I work really hard to not play like crap."

Bryant continued to shoot the ball poorly in Sunday's loss - L.A.'s sixth straight - scoring just 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting. For the season, the 17-time All-Star has knocked down only 30 percent of his field-goal attempts and 20 percent of his 3-point attempts.

"I'll keep pushing and pushing until I figure this damn thing out," he said afterwards.

With nearly 56,000 NBA minutes under his belt over the last 20 years, Bryant also acknowledged his place as one of the league's elder statesmen. "I'm not the old guy, I'm the triple OG," he said. "LeBron and them, they're the old guys now, and I'm way older than them."

As for his favorite moment in what has been one of the most illustrious and decorated careers in basketball history, the five-time champion had a surprising response.

"Nothing beats getting drafted. Nothing tops that."