Kobe Bryant out against Bulls, resting second straight game
By Jacob Rude
In a surprise move, the Los Angeles Lakers will be without shooting guard Kobe Bryant for the second straight game.
Lakers head coach Byron Scott said Kobe Bryant will NOT play tonight vs. Chicago Bulls. Bryant sitting out second straight game to rest.
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) December 25, 2014
Byron said that Kobe still reported having soreness basically everywhere
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 25, 2014
In Bryant’s last performance, he played 38 minutes and looked clearly less than 100% against the Sacramento Kings in a loss. After sitting out Tuesday’s match-up against the Warriors, most assumed that Bryant would make his return for Christmas Day in a match-up against close friend and former teammate Pau Gasol.
However, clearly Byron Scott‘s reliance on Bryant early in the season took it’s toll as the guard, in his 19th year in the league, has started to break down. Bryant constantly hinted at the amount of work necessary to get his body prepared on a game-to-game basis this season. Clearly, we underestimated the toll it was taking on the Black Mamba.
Without Bryant on Tuesday, the Lakers shocked the Warriors, who were on the second night of a back-to-back and appeared to a team as such, with the Lakers looking the more energetic crew. With a tougher task ahead of them with the Chicago Bulls on the road, the Lakers will try to replicate their performance.
Are you surprised Bryant is out tonight? Let us know your thoughts to the decision in the comments below.