A-Rod Says Kobe Bryant Was Considering Retirement Before Procedure

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez told reporters Saturday that his friend Kobe Bryant had considered retirement last offseason before receiving a platelet-rich plasma procedure in Germany, according to the Los Angeles Times. The procedure, which he then suggested to Rodriguez, has quelled his previously overwhelming knee pain.

"[Bryant] was really adamant about how great the procedure was for him," Rodriguez told reporters when asked about the knee procedure that he underwent as a result of Bryant’s advice. “I know that he was hurting before, almost even thinking about retirement, that's how much pain he was under.”

Despite a lingering torn ligament in his right wrist, Bryant leads the league in scoring at 28.4 points per game.