Kobe Bryant: Life After the Black Mamba
By Scott Asai
Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) dunks over New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Kobe Bryant will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair his torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Kobe’s season is over. Again. For the third consecutive time.
Most fans believe he should retire. Bryant has won 5 championships, so what does he have left to prove? Even if he does return for the start of next season, it’s doubtful the Lakers will contend for a title, so if he’s hell-bent on winning a 6th ring, the odds aren’t in his favor.
But then look to his mentor, Michael Jordan, the player he’s always been compared to and recently admitting he wanted to join during the peak of the Shaq-drama. After winning 6 titles with the Bulls, Jordan had nothing to prove, yet he relinquished his position in Wizards Management to play for the team. Although MJ would have his moments, overall he didn’t accomplish much and didn’t make the playoffs.
After last week’s loss in New Orleans and a shoulder injury, many believe Bryant does not want to end his career like this. It’s one thing to not win a title your final season in the league, but it’s another to abruptly halt your basketball life with a career ending injury.
Since Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are cut from the same cloth, expect a comeback next season.
The Lakers are going to be active up to the deadline and during the draft/free agency. This was a rebuild year from the start and now it’s becoming clearer that relying on a 36 year-old veteran coming off two major surgeries as your best player was a faulty strategy at best.
Byron Scott mentioned that before the shoulder injury to Bryant, his next lineup change was going to be Jordan Clarkson starting at the point guard position next to Kobe. Whether or not that was a true statement, it shifts the Lakers’ sails in an already tumultuous season.
The Lakers have turned their attention to developing their youth knowing that no matter which starting lineup they send out at the beginning of the game they’re already out-matched talent wise. Expect Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black, Ryan Kelly and Ed Davis to command more minutes going forward. At this point in the season the Lakers have nothing more to lose.
With tanking as a trending topic for the Lakers, keeping our Top 5 protected pick seems like more of a reality going forward. The Lakers have been planning for Life after Kobe, but now the plans have just been accelerated.