Anyone who watched Friday night’s contest between the Lakers and Spurs could tell you that Kobe Bryant looked far from his self. As it turns out, Bryant was battling flu-like symptoms since early in the morning, leading to his 1 for 14 shooting performance from the field on the night.
Kobe Bryant on when he felt ill:"“I was feeling a little achy this morning. It kind of just comes up."
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) November 15, 2014
Kobe cont: “I didn’t feel too good, but I’m used to playing through that. It’s tough, man. Tonight was just one of those nights where,"cont
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) November 15, 2014
Kobe cont:"it makes me really remember the challenge of being 36 and being 19 years in. Body just won’t respond when you’re sick."
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) November 15, 2014
For Bryant, at 36 years old, trying to battle through the flu and compete with some of the world’s greatest athletes is essentially an impossible task. The fact he even attempted tells you what kind of competitor he is.
Still, considering Byron Scott knew prior to the game, it’s hard to rationalize why Scott would put Bryant on the court, let alone play him for 30+ minutes tonight.
As we’ve talked before, Scott’s management of Bryant’s minutes so far this season has left much to be desired. Already averaging over 35 minutes a night, Bryant is going to start wearing down quickly. Adding the flu to that situation is only going to make things worse. Logic would say for the Scott and the Lakers to sit Bryant for as many games as it takes for him to get back to 100%.
Do you think the Lakers should sit Bryant for a couple games? Why or why not? Let us know below!