General manager Mitch Kupchak delivered the news that rocked Los Angeles Lakers as he said that Kobe Bryant will quit after his contract ends. Meanwhile, the scoring chase, as the Black Mamba tries to surpass Michael Jordan's rank, has reportedly become a distraction.

"All indications are, to me, from him, that this [two-year contract extension] is going to be it. 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," Mitch Kupchak told NBA.com.

Of the scoring chase, the general manager said: "When he does pass it, it's a testimony to consistency and playing at a high level for a long time. I think that's nice, but I think we all know that he would trade that for a team that competes for the playoffs or a championship."

In other Los Angeles Lakers news, Kareem Abdul Jabbar called Kobe Bryant's chase to dislodge Michael Jordan on the third place in the all-time scoring list as a "distraction."

"I think these milestones are mainly a distraction. The important thing for Kobe Bryant are the World Championships and MVPs. He's done all of those things. He's already achieved the things that count and that people judge you by. I don't think he needs to be that emotional," Kareem Abdul Jabbar said on "The Beat."

"To be at your best, you have to be in superlative form, both mentally and physically, and bring it every night. "nce those things don't start arriving on time or you can't predict it, it gets to be a problem. For me, I started to realize I wasn't living up to the standard I had set for myself over my entire career. I felt I retired at the right time," Abdul Jabbar said.

But Los Angeles Lakers news from Inside SoCal noted that Kobe Bryant has remained stoic despite all the hype surrounding his chase for the third in the all-time scoring list. Meanwhile, Kareem Abdul Jabbar's record of 38,387 points is almost insurmountable.