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Kobe Bryant will remain a member of the Lakers instead of testing the free agent market. Reuters

Future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant signed a two-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, the team announced.

Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed but Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the extension meant the 35-year-old would finish his NBA career in Los Angeles.

"We've said all along that our priority and hope was to have Kobe finish his career as a Laker, and this should ensure that that happens," Kupchak said in a statement.

"To play 20 years in the NBA, and to do so with the same team, is unprecedented, and quite an accomplishment. Most importantly however, it assures us that one of the best players in the world will remain a Laker, bringing us excellent play and excitement for years to come."

Bryant, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, joined the Lakers in 1996 and has gone to establish himself as one of the game's all-time greats.

He has helped the Lakers win five NBA championships and was voted as the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008. A 15-time All-Star, Bryant is fourth in the all-time scoring list and has won two Olympic gold medals with the United States.

(Reporting by Julian Linden in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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