ANKARA

Kobe Bryant announced Monday he will end his 20-year basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the current season.

The 37-year-old shooting guard, who has helped the Lakers win five championships, told The Players’ Tribune website that he will quit the sport.

In a statement that began “Dear Basketball”, Bryant thanked the sport for giving a “six-year-old boy his Laker dream and I’ll always love you for it.

“But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.”

Born in Philadelphia, Bryant is regarded as one of the most important players in NBA history.

He scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006 - the second-highest score by an individual player in single match.

Nicknamed Black Mamba for his merciless playing style, has been picked for the All-Star team 17 times and was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2008. He was the NBA finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.

He helped the U.S. team win gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

He has made 6,163 career assists and scored 32,683 points.

However, he has struggled with injuries in recent years. In 2013, he ruptured an Achilles tendon, leaving him sidelined for eight months. He then fractured his knee on return and earlier this year tore a muscle in his right shoulder.

Responding to the news, Turkish side Galatasaray invited Bryant to join them. “Would you like to move on with us?” the Istanbul club tweeted late Monday.