Another day in the NBA means another Los Angeles Lakers loss, and another game with Kobe Bryant making no sense whatsoever: Taking bad shots, missing almost all of them and then basking in the idiotic media love for him during his retirement tour, filled with “the last time he’ll play in this arena” stories.
Maybe it’s about the difference between cold, calculated people and more sentimental basketball fans, but it’s hard to see the charm in Bryant shooting 2-of-15 from the field in only 26 minutes to finish with 5 points while the Lakers lose by 20 points. This is the same Bryant who seemed so angry at his teammates for celebrating a meaningless win a year ago while he was out injured, but now? He doesn’t care. He has a show to play in, and from his standpoint, it’s all about him.
With Bryant missing 13 out of 15 shots, he has now dropped to below .300 from the field: He’s shooting 29.6%, including 21.8% from beyond the arc, which isn’t stopping him from shooting. He is attempting 20.6 shots per 36 minutes, the sixth highest ratio of his career. His nine 3-point attempts per 36 minutes are by far the highest ratio of his career. And that’s for a player admitting he no longer has the legs to be a threat from the outside.
We’ve been over this. The Lakers are tanking, this time from day 1. Byron Scott gives zero you know what about young player development and anything of the sort. It’s about folding his arms and looking cross while complimenting Bryant at the end of the game. It’s become that ridiculous, that pathetic. Jordan Clarkson? D’Angelo Russell? Julius Randle? They can put their career on hold for one year so Bryant can have fun despite being a pathetic excuse for a basketball player at this stage.
It’s funny how Kevin Durant and others are rushing to his defense. Bryant winning titles and doing great things in the past doesn’t earn him the right to destroy his own franchise, even if in his own twisted way of thinking, he’s trying to do what’s best for the Lakers. We’ve seen Bryant play for a very long time, and we know this is about him, first, foremost and maybe just him and nothing else. All those stars calling out to defend him never really showed any willingness to play with him. I wonder why. For those who didn’t know, we’re seeing it more clearly than ever this season.
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