Kobe Bryant set to retire in 2016 - Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak

The 19-year NBA veteran has looked fresh, questionable shot decisions notwithstanding, but whether the 36-year-old superstar could play beyond his two-year contract remains to be seen.

Kupchak told NBA.com that he expects Bryant to end his career once his contract is up in 2016.

"All indications are, to me, from him, that his [contract] is going to be it," Kupchak said.

"If somebody's thinking of buying a ticket three years from now to see Kobe play, I would not do that. Don't wait. Do it this year."

Bryant is tied with Anthony Davis and James Harden for the league's scoring lead with 25.2 points per game. Not bad for a "savvy old dog" as he once called himself.

Could he really walk away from the game without even the chance of another championship?

Bryant is working overtime on the court for a struggling Lakers team. He is making $24million per year for the next two years, but he always tells people he's in it for the championships.

Right now, that seems too high of a mountain for the purple and gold.

Bryant will be 38 when his contract ends; there's no telling what will happen between now and then, but he is just enjoying the "process" of trying to get the Lakers in playoff form.

Until then, he remains as competitive as ever.

"I've just got to keep making the right play," Bryant said.

"Just go to make the right play, man, and control what I can control. The way I look at it is I try to do my job, which is attack 'em, punish 'em when they single-cover, make the doubles come, and then kick it and see if we can't make 'em pay."

Bryant is taking things a game at a time and does not get caught up in the future, though it is inching closer by the minute.