Kobe: 'I'm not going to beat myself up' if I'm not voted an All-Star

Kobe Bryant is probably going to get voted into the All-Star game as a starter - an early retirement gift from the same sentimental fans who voted him in last season.

If he does indeed get an invite to Toronto in February, it'll be more as a recognition of his luminous 20-year NBA career than for his exploits in his 20th and final campaign, in which he's shooting career lows from the field (33 percent) and 3-point range (24.4 percent) for the 4-21 Los Angeles Lakers.

And if he doesn't, well, Bryant won't sweat it too much.

"I mean it would be great to play in it. If I'm not in it, I'm not going to beat myself up over that either," Bryant said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes. "I'll support the game no matter what. Support the players no matter what."

Bryant has been voted an All-Star starter 14 times (though he was unable to suit up for the last two games due to injury), and has been named to 17 All-Star rosters total, two shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record.

"It would be great, but at the same time I've played in a lot of them, so it's always great to have the younger guys step up and get their opportunities as well," Bryant said. "I've played in quite a few. If I'm fortunate to be there, I'll be extremely grateful for that. If I'm not, at the same token, I'll be extremely grateful for the opportunities I've had."