Father time is hard to beat.
Not even Kobe Bryant, who for the last two decades has been among the brightest NBA stars.
The Los Angeles Lakers star first played in 1996 and since then, he became one of the most popular in the world's top professional basketball tournament.
The Black Mambas has been in the league for 20 years now and is part of three decades. All those wearing years has led to loss of physical abilities.
This early season, it seems the decline in talent is showing and his haters always have a feast whenever that happens.
Kobe Bryant has one explanation why he is highly-criticized by the public whenever he has a bad night.
"I get held to much higher standards than most of my peers," Bryant told Yahoo Sports on his walk out of the Barclays Center. "If I have a bad shooting night, it's, 'He's in the grave. He's in the coffin.' Look around the league, and other players have bad shooting nights - and it's just a bad shooting night."
"But the expectations that they have for me, they're actually something that I appreciate. Achilles injury. Fractured knee. Torn shoulder. Twentieth year in the league. Thirty-seven years old. All that, and the expectations are that I average 30 points."
Although he has already achieved a lot in his career as a professional basketball player - one season MVP, two finals MVP, and five championship rings - he said he still tries to get better.
One thing that motivates him to push himself beyond the limit are the standards set for him by the public.
"But I appreciate those standards, because it's something that still pushes me, still drives me," he said.
Kobe Bryant's average this season so far is 16.2 points per game, 3.8 points per game, and 2.6 per game. His scoring average comes at a poor 32.1% shooting percentage.
There are rumors that this could be Kobe Bryant's last year and he is hell bent in making a triumphant exit.
Los Angeles Lakers are currently struggling with the core of the team still young.
There is no need for Kobe to silence his haters. However, it would be a treat for him or fans if the current Lakers will get better.
