Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA rescinded the technical foul quick tempered Joey Crawford called on Kobe Bryant during Monday night’s loss in Denver. That might be good news but only in the relative kind of way. Even without the additional tech KB24 is still only three more T’s away from being suspended.
With 13 technical fouls on the season Mamba is tops in the league. Hotheaded DeMarcus Cousins checks in at second with 12. Of course Cousins also has three ejections whereas Bryant has none but that hardly matters if the Lake Show is minus its leading man at a critical point in the season.
So far Bryant’s temper hasn’t boiled over as such that he’s earned an early shower. But even Mike D’Antoni is worried about what will happen if his team has to go into battle without Bryant and expressed his fears to the L.A. Times.
"“We can’t afford to lose him for a game. Not like that.”"
What might be most concerning of all is how often Bryant complains when he should be sprinting back on defense. That certainly hasn’t helped in reducing all the points the Lakers give up in transition.
With the Lakers entering the do or die moment of the season the last thing this team needs it to have its playoff hopes put on ice no thanks to Kobe complaining about a no-call in the first quarter.