AceShowbiz -

Having been playing for the Los Angeles team since the age of 17, Kobe Bryant confirms he is retiring from basketball after one more season and completing his two-year contract, which will net him $25 million. The 36-year-old basketball star opened up about his retirement plan in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"It's really hard, especially for a 17-year-old. You're having all this money thrown at you, all this attention thrown at you. And there are a lot of leeches," Kobe admitted. "It teaches you a lot about focus. What are you focused on? What are you trying to accomplish? All right, let's weed out everything else that gets in the way of that. But at 20 years old, I was dealing with a lot. It was crazy."

Being asked if he would like to act just like his fellow NBA stars, Kobe admitted, "No, I don't enjoy being in films. It makes me uncomfortable." Though so, he does have a documentary "Kobe Bryant's Muse" which is slated to be aired February 28 on Showtime. Speaking of the project, he stated, "There are so many other stories to be told," adding that he would like to feature basketball executive Phil Jackson and Apple designer Jonathan Ive.

In further interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kobe also opened up about the dark periods in his life, including the 2003 sexual assault charges, and his relationships with family and friends. He also discussed the lessons he learned from fellow basketball star Michael Jordan.