Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

Father Time catches up with everyone but I don't think he's there with Kobe just yet. There does seem to be quite a decrease of pep in his explosiveness though and we'll see how he plays but IMO he probably just needs to get his legs up to the speed of the game and wear off the rust. I'm not sure he will ever be superstar player ever again those days might be over.

 

I don't know what you guys are talking about... I've paid attention to the defensive end and there, when Kobe does focus, he seems to move just fine - his lateral quickness and response time are there.

If I had to guess - Kobe preserves himself.

 

ONTARIO – Kobe Bryant’s style of leadership has been more or less consistent over the first 18 years of his career.

It’s called tough love. Like it or prepare to be at odds with the cold-blooded superstar.

Until this year, that is.

Bryant said last week that he was taking a more “nurturing” role with this year’s Lakers, who are leaning on far less experience players than Bryant is used to.

“You had a lot of veteran guys that have been around,” Bryant said, “so, the teaching style is a little different.”

Byron Scott, who was Bryant’s rookie mentor with the Lakers in 1996, said Bryant “has done a heck of a job with taking guys to the side, just teaching them little things about the NBA.”

Scott described Bryant as a mentor and “a little bit of an assistant coach,” shortly before the Lakers played the Golden State Warriors on Monday at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

If this gentler, more patient Kobe doesn’t quite align with the image Bryant has carved out over his career, it should be noted that it wasn’t long ago he was much tougher on young players.

“I didn’t even talk to the man,” said Robert Sacre, who was a Lakers rookie in 2012. “I introduced myself to him. I think the first two things I said to him was ‘ball’ and ‘outlet.’”

But Bryant is 36 and his window to win another championship is closing quickly. If the Lakers are going to exceed expectations and make playoff run after going 27-55 last year, they will need Bryant to help cultivate young players such as Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Wesley Johnson and Nick Young.

“He just wants to win,” Sacre said, “and I think he knows what he needs to do to help this team and we known what we need to do to be a be part of his legacy, so we just want to help him out and make it better. And all around we’re a closer team.”

Bryant spent the summer training individually Johnson, and also logged sessions with Young, Randle and other Lakers.

But it’s Randle for whom Scott anticipates Bryant’s guidance could be the most helpful.

“He and I had a talk one day with Julius,” Scott said, “and I told him that if he has anywhere near the work ethic as Kobe, he’ll be an All-Star. If you don’t you’ll just be a good basketball player in the NBA one day.”

http://www.ocregister.com/lakers/lakers-638271-mentor-ontario.html

 

I think Kobe will look very similar to a 2012 version. Footage of lakers practice suggests he's still capable of being himself.

 

ESPN gave Kobe a ranking of #40

 

ESPN ranking Kobe #40 pretty much says Kobe ain't good enough to be a #1 on a team. I don't know that I can accept that yet.

 

I just love Stephen A. when he just loses it. But I pretty much did too

 

Them people on ESPN are either on drugs, drunk, or believe that April Fools has come early. Last time Kobe "really" played, which was during the 2013 season, he was having a MVP type of season. Pretty much 1 year removed from play, and now he's ranked all the way down to 40?!? There's probably at least 40 million people that has better common sense than those espn rankers.

 

This is great fuel to his fire.

 

ESPN has always hated Kobe expect for few analyst this isn't news. I hope Kobe shuts them up once again.

 

ESPN

 

There is just no way there are 39 better players than Bryant and ESPN knows that.