Whatever is left of Kobe Bryant will ultimately result in dividing some of his most loyal fans.
The news that a rotator cuff injury will probably prematurely end another season – third straight – for Kobe brings joy to no one. Not the league, not the fans, opponents or those covering basketball.
Bryant is simply too much of a force of nature in terms of personality and talent. Some of the things he’s done on the floor over the course of his career are born out of an impressive imagination coupled with the bravado to attempt them in-game. Kobe’s mental toughness is perhaps unparalleled, and his will has yet to be broken.
The one time Bryant ever displayed any sign of weakness was in the aftermath of an Achilles rupture a few seasons ago. He appeared saddened and distraught, and yet, the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer quickly quipped that he wasn’t done.
“There are far greater issues/challenges in the world than a torn Achilles,” Kobe wrote in a Facebook post. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever. One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.”
Mortal he is not.
As result, the Kobe book cannot be closed…yet. It feels as though he has so much more to offer as evidenced by his transformation this season. Bryant has looked more like a mentor on the floor and less like an assassin. He’s taking teammates under his wing and showing them the way, instead of barreling through defenders to lead them through it.
The five-time champion is still a fierce competitor, and very few can walk along his path as he so eloquently put it, per The Washington Post’s Michael Lee:
“Listen, man. There are not a lot of players in this league that say, ‘Come hell or high water, we’re going to get this [expletive] done.’ People can look around and joke around about winning, saying they want to win. For me, it’s a matter of life or death. It was that important to me. And if it’s that important to me, I’m going to get there.”
Interestingly enough, that gladiator mentality has slowly taken a different form. Kobe appears far more jovial against his opposition, as the end of his career approaches. This was mostly evident when Bryant kept exchanging pleasantries with LeBron James during a home tilt against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Some years ago, both competing for championships, it was a little different,” Bryant said after the loss to Cleveland, according to ESPNLA.com’s Baxter Holmes. “It was a lot more moody. Now it’s a little different. I’ve got a chance to really appreciate the competition and enjoy that interaction. We’ve gotten to know each other really well over the years. It’s good to see him.”
This is a version of Kobe that is foreign to many. I wouldn’t call it a softer side, rather he’s less guarded, and it’s an iteration that I want to observe more with the benefit of additional games.
Those around Kobe say he is definitively coming back to play next season. Doesn't want to go out like this.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 26, 2015
In the same breath, it’s impossible to look at this future Hall of Famer without openly wondering whether it’s finally time to close the curtain.
Kobe’s bulletproof legacy will not be tarnished by anything that happens the rest of the way, but the feelings of the collective masses might slowly take a different route. The newest memories will never surpass the oldest and most important ones, but they will become the fresher ones nonetheless.
Imagine watching a hobbled Kobe misfiring on multiple contested three-point fadeaway shots and then thinking to yourself “man, those you used to be easy shots for him.” Worse yet, there’s a realistic scenario where Bryant rehabs his most recent injury only to return next season and back up Nick Young.
This might sound ludicrous at first glance, but both are posting similar per-36-minute scoring numbers and shooting percentages this year. Bryant’s been the superior rebounder and playmaker, while Young has been better at avoiding turnovers.
Considering that Kobe will be 37 years old at the start of next season, it’s certainly logical to expect his physical state to deteriorate further. If that’s the case, L.A. could be better off cutting his minutes in favor of Young, who turns 30 in June.
Is there any plausible scenario that exists where Bryant loyalists would accept such a development? I’m not sure whether I or anyone else for that matter is prepared for a world where a healthy but older version of Kobe is no longer the Purple and Gold’s best player.
As terrifying as that scenario sounds, it’s the one Lakers Nation will likely have to face if it truly wants one last chapter, page or verse to be included in the Kobe hardcover. If that sounds like a source of conflict, it certainly is.
As someone with a healthy appreciation for Hall of Fame speeches, I can openly admit that Bryant’s last title (2009-10 season) – the one that broke the tie in ring count between he and Shaquille O’Neal – led me to believe his elocution would surpass Michael Jordan’s jab-heavy Hall of Fame acceptance.
Kobe only becomes eligible for the Hall five years after retirement, which means that calling it quits fairly soon is in order for fans to hear him address all in Springfield as soon as possible.
Therein lies the conundrum with Kobe Bean. One would hope he could make everything happen all at once, but Bryant simply can’t.
Should I stay or should I go?
It’s one or the other, and one would think it will be an agonizing choice.
Kobe’s never done things easy over the course of his career, and it sure looks like his next decision will follow suit. Fans will have a hard time with whatever direction he chooses, but let’s give Kobe a shot to close his career on his own terms.
Until he does, the best thing left to say is…
Thank you for the memories Mr. Bryant.
James Katt says
Kobe would be best served by taking the rest of the season off, allowing his contract to expire, then going to a title contending team. He would then help that team win 4 or more NBA Championships before he retires.
Otherwise all these years are wasted.
I would LOVE to see Kobe in Chicago, reunited with Pau Gasol. With the rest of the team, this team would be a monster for years. If Kobe stays long enough, he may win another 6 championships there.
Ko says
Outstanding post Darius. Should be read by every sports fan. I would have been better served if the Kobe/Young comoarrisiin was left out. Nick is a one way player who brings nothing to the table if his shot 3 pointer is off.
Still great story.
Aaron says
I think we are all looking forward to Kobe’s victory lap season next year. He desserves more than what Jeter got. Next year will be another “rebuilding” year. So nothing wrong with Kobe getting the kind of treatment someone of his quality desserves. Just like this year… All the shots he wants and all the minutes he wants. Unless the FO makes a big trade the goal for next season won’t be winning either. Next year should be all about Kobe and how Los Angeles and all of basketball says goodbye to a legend.
rr says
Ko,
Darius actually didn’t write this one.
Jc says
Oops sorry.
J C says
Darius that’s very poignant and well-written.
Thank you.
IMO Kobe will be back.
For one thing, he’s under contract.
I assume shutting himself down may cost him some or all of that $25 large.
Can’t see him forfeiting any of that.
For another, next year’s roster should be better. Add a healthy Randle and a couple of draft picks, (fresh horses!) a FA or two and some returning pieces and we could be an interesting ball club – especially when you add KB back into that mix. A team that can win some games.
Who here doesn’t think Kobe can average 14 and 10 assists next year? That would have been pennies from heaven if Nash would have provided that much this year or last.
Lastly, Kobe’s competitive spirit will spur him on to give this one more try. Doing anything else will forever beg the question, what if?
This won’t be Jordan returning at 39 or 40 to the Wiz. Kobe will be Duncan’s or Ginobili’s age next year.
And as an added bonus – what if he can contribute to a winning team and they add more pieces the following year? Kobe could stick around even longer at a discount and as a complimentary or even equal piece of a solid team.
We can’t expect a 26-yesr old Kobe next year.
But what we can expect is for Kobe to expect the most of himself.
Bonio. says
Awkward position for the fans? Far from it: You. Support. Your. Team. No. Matter. What.
J C says
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/byron-scott-really-wants-lakers-rookies-to-take-care-of-their-fake-babies-042615597.html
This is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard.
Is this conducive to a winning atmosphere?
Color me crazy but it would seem that coach Scott could be spending his time more wisely.
Jerke says
@jc – if docs determine torn labrum is enough to cause Kobe to end his career then insurance would just pay it all out, or the Lakers would just do the same with him as they did w Nash – keep his $ on the payroll to count against the books either as a tradable expiring salary chip or just as a way to stockpile cap space for free agent signing w/o having to sign other players to meet minimum salary. Kobe won’t forfeit salary – not for selfish reasons of his own but because his cap hold is to valuable to the org.
Most reasonable fans realize that while he’s not the kobe of old and his numbers may be down – that’s more an effect of the poor cast around him/bad coaching/team mismanagement and other teams gameplanning/attacking an old lion night after night because there are no better options and its not possible for him to average double/doubles every night. Kobe would still be a very effective player – just needs to be the 1b/c or 2a option on the team as he just can’t carry the load anymore.
As for the young/kobe comparisons – young has been nothing but a chucker and only got time and a name and an overpaid contract because MDA’s system freed him up last year, boosted his numbers and Kobe wasn’t around to take those same shots. Further more Kobe actually handles the ball more in a point forward roll and tries to make plays for himself and others vs young just shooting every time he sees daylight – lot of guys disguise their lack of playmaking/turnover rates by simply chucking the shot up since that doesn’t count. Should Kobe maybe play less – sure. and in more spot mins at the start/end of games probably. But saying that he may be backing up Nick young next year is …..
sunny says
Kobe is really incredible 20 years at this lel and injuries. Gives hope to all ballers that age is just a number http://www.theblackmamba.net great article.
Brian says
Kobe is one of the greatest to ever play the game. But whoever said he would win 6 more championships by going to another team … um … wow. I do sometimes dream of the team signing Marc Gasol in the offseason, and Pau coming back in a few years as a grizzled veteran to close out his career on a title-contending team. Hey – it could happen! Next year I hope Julius Randle comes back strong, we have 2 amazing draft picks, and Clarkson gets his Nick Van Exel on. And, of course, Kobe closing out his career in the playoffs, knocking off a higher seed in an early round. We don’t need a championship next year, just a few thrilling moments and a young team on the rise. Looking forward to it …
Robert says
J.M. Poulard: Nice write up and welcome back. For me, there is no “awkward position”. It is pretty simple. If we have a chance to truly take a major step forward and Kobe is in the way of that, then he should get out of the way. I do not think we are in such a position, and therefore I would like to watch Kobe, and this is what the FO wants (people to watch). If someone shows me a scenario where we get a title much faster by Kobe stepping aside – then I am willing to consider that. There is no point to him sitting behind Nick Young. If Young were 23 years old perhaps, but Young is not someone we are developing or building around. He is also there for entertainment : ) Why not just play them both? : ) And as I have said before, Young is more of a hindrance to our rebuild after next year than Kobe is, due to his contract. We need to get our pick, ride out next year, and not do anything foolish in FA until we can make a big splash.
Jesse says
Thanks for the link to that article JC….well, maybe not.
If it is true, and judging from the quote from BS it seems it is, this is beyond weird! In fact, it’s quite disturbing.
I’m not a fan of hazing – but, having played on plenty of teams, I get it. If this was only for a day or two, well, maybe ok. but it sounds as thought it’s for the rest of the season.
Completely disrespecting these young men, total power trip by BS. The FO should step in. Dr. Buss must be turning over in his grave. smh
Craig W. says
“Bryant has looked more like a mentor on the floor and less like an assassin. He’s taking teammates under his wing and showing them the way, instead of barreling through defenders to lead them through it.”
It is more the torch is going out, rather than it is being passed. Even so, we all want to tune in to see what music is playing. That is what Kobe Bean Bryant means to the NBA. Fans and haters alike will tune-in and comment. Eyeballs will be on the TV or at the arena. Kobe T-shirts will be worn. Ultimately that is why his contract is justified.
Perhaps we have seen a glimpse of what Kobe will do next year. If so, I am still eager to see how that story plays out – and not nearly as interested in what is going on on-the-court this year. Sorry, but that is how it works out for me – the lifelong Laker fan.
Craig W. says
Darius, you just can’t convince me there isn’t some kind of censorship going on. There is absolutely nothing in my post that should trigger holding it for your approval.
Archon says
Kobe’s days as an effective wing player are over. I do think he could play another 1-2 years as a 25-30 minute a game playmaker since he’s such a good passer and he can post up smaller players.
The real problem is at this point the team can’t rely on Kobe to stay healthy so building an offense around Kobe’s playmaking abilities is dangerous because if and when he gets hurt the offense will end up imploding (i.e See current Lakers squad).
On a related note don’t be fooled, the front office is secretly thrilled he got hurt again this year. They probably wish he would have got hurt 8 weeks earlier so they didn’t have to even deal with the pretense of competing. Now they can wave the white flag on the season with little backlash.
J C says
Jesse
Yeah I agree it’s super odd.
Although I haven’t been a pro athlete so maybe it’s commonplace.
Just felt like the wrong time for this sort of story to emerge and seems like a misplaced use of authority at best.
Darius Soriano says
Craig,
I’m honestly sick of your questioning about the comment filter. Now you say it’s “censorship”? Censorship of what? It’s ridiculous. For the last time, I don’t control it the filter. It’s been like this for as long as I can remember. I’ve been running this site for 5 years (and moderating comments — aka reviewing the comments the filter holds for moderation — for longer than that) and if you saw the number of comments I have to approve on a daily basis you’d wonder why I bother having a comment section at all. Just let it go already. This is really the last time I’m going to speak on this.
Darius Soriano says
Also, I don’t need to convince you. I know I’m right and that you don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to this.
T. Rogers says
I personally don’t want to see Kobe limping through next season on one leg with one arm. I also don’t want to see a third consecutive season end prematurely due to injury. In a perfect world Kobe would return next season to a team with a real shot of making the playoffs. They would be competitive every night. And other teams would know whenever they saw the Lakers on the schedule they were in for a dog fight. And Kobe would be right at home in that scenario.
But if next season is more or less the same as this season I don’t want Kobe coming back to this.
Calvin Chang says
From the Lakers young guys, what do you think are their ceilings and comps? I think Tarik’s ceiling is to be a Ben Wallace with better offense. Sacre’s ceiling is backup center. RKelly’s ceiling is a Ryan Anderson or Channing Frye with better moves off the dribble but softer on defense and rebounds. Maybe a taller Luke Walton? Clarkson reminds me of former Spur Antonio Daniels. Long, fast, athletic combo guard. He does need to bulk up to play more physical defense. Randle reminds me of a young Derrick Coleman, but still need to see more of him against NBA-caliber defense.
bryan S. says
Calvin: Pretty good upside comps. Agree that Clarkson needs strength; he has a difficult time getting over screens. Don’t get the Randle/Coleman comp. Derrick Coleman has a completely different body type: long, rangy, good outside shot. In today’s game he’d be a stretch four. Randle’s upside is Blake Griffin. Same size, body type, (mesomorph) similar skill set. Julius has the better handle, much better lateral quickness (that’s why Julius *could* play the power three), Blake more explosive. Both excellent passers, point forward skills. Julius has a better outside shot (has touch), Blake had no outside shot but has worked exceptionally hard to become an effective spot up mid-range shooter.
Craig W. Really dude?
Lil pau says
Darius, I realize you hate this discussion, but some newsgroups use a kind of ’emeritus’ system where if you post say 200 times without a problem, you are precleared and no longer hit the filter, the thinking being it’s incredibly unlikely ones 201st post will be the first inappropriate one. I post a lot here and also can get quite frustrated with the moderation process, despite quite literally not having had a single line of a single post deleted.
Darius Soriano says
Lil Pau,
It’s not about hating the discussion. It’s a discussion about software and not about my preferences. If I had the time, resources, and technical background to devote to fixing this issue, I would do so. But, I don’t.
As an aside, if people want to have to log-in to comment a la SB Nation or ESPN (who use a facebook integration) or any other number of sites, I will consider moving to that type of platform. This may decrease the number of comments held for moderation (which is speculation on my part; I do not know this to be the case), but with the trade off that you need to log-in to comment. I have gotten a lot of push-back on moving in this direction in the past, but if people want it, I will consider it.
Calvin Chang says
Bryan S- I guess Derrick Coleman came to mind because they’re about the same height, PF, and are left-handed so the shooting form is similar. But I haven’t seen enough of Julius yet. Half of Blake’s game is above the rim. He’s usually soaring for dunks and alley-oops, and has added a back-you-down low-post move similar to Charles Barkley. Randle seems to want to dribble a lot more. Hopefully he can stay healthy and have a long career.
Robert says
Darius: Just trying to help. A sign on helps some stuff, but it does not solve this issue – especially not for you. Some sites (one of those you mentioned in fact) have no filter at all. You can post anything and then it might get modded later (this would be true with or without a sign on). If you look at some of the other sites, they contain profanity which would get flagged by our filter. The mods basically selectively delete/edit after the fact. Flagging profanity is fine. The only issue here is that our filter flags too many benign comments which just causes you extra work. The settings for the software for the site is probably the case. They may have a sensitivity setting which could be reduced to let more through
BigCitySid says
– @ J.M. Poulard, I’m confused by your statement: “I’m not sure whether I or anyone else for that matter is prepared for a world where a healthy but older version of Kobe is no longer the Purple and Gold’s best player.” Who DOESN’T want to see this? Everyone wants to see an improved Laker team next season, and there is absolutely no way that can happen with Kobe on the team unless he’s playing w/ at least one superior teammate. Am I reading this incorrectly?
– Wondering now more than before about the front office. Regardless if your pro or anti front office, I would think once your best player goes down with a season ending injury, it has to somehow matter, especially when the injury may be career ending. It just seems to me some degree of “adjustment” with personnel has to be made…unless the lost of that player really doesn’t mean all that much in the big picture at this point.
Archon says
I love your optimism on Tariq Black Calvin but I think your devaluing Ben Wallace. Ben was a 4 time defensive player of the year, one of the all-time great defensive anchors in his prime. A Ben Wallace with better offense is basically Dwight Howard and that’s not Tariq Black and never will be.
I think a better ceiling comp for Black is Horace Grant, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
harold says
I don’t want to move to a log-in platform, those cause enough problems already; and moderation only gives you time to rethink what you just wrote – if you have a problem having it go up immediately for everyone to see, you probably have a problem that does not stem from the site but from how you perceive yourself.
anyway, Kobe’s retirement is going to hit hard for me as he is almost the same age as I am. feeling old already but Kobe no longer being among active players will force quite a different perspective of the game to me.
Todd says
From the Lakers young guys, what do you think are their ceilings and comps? I think Tarik’s ceiling is to be a Ben Wallace with better offense. Sacre’s ceiling is backup center. RKelly’s ceiling is a Ryan Anderson or Channing Frye with better moves off the dribble but softer on defense and rebounds. Maybe a taller Luke Walton? Clarkson reminds me of former Spur Antonio Daniels. Long, fast, athletic combo guard. He does need to bulk up to play more physical defense. Randle reminds me of a young Derrick Coleman, but still need to see more of him against NBA-caliber defense.
___
Your ceilings are quite high. If our Lakers really had that much upside potential we’d be pretty optimistic about the future. My takes:
– Tarik’s ceiling is equal to Nick Collison. A spot starter but more likely a rotational big.
– Sacre is a 3rd string center or plays overseas
– RKelly’s future is overseas
– Clarkson is the first guard off the bench on a good team
– Randle, I see more of ZRandolph than Coleman. DC had a polished mid-range game when he came into the league. To be honest, the jury is still out on whether he can stay healthy enough to have an impact.
Archon says
Todd,
My only contention with your comps is with R. Kelly. He’s not the shooter I thought he would be coming at out college but he’s suppressed expectations in every other department. He’s a much better ball handler, passer, and defender then I would have thought.
If he ever becomes a better than average 3 point shooter (which I think is likely) I think Kelly could be a rotational big on a good team.
Mike in Beijing says
Why is it that so many posters here gloss over Kobe’s wretched defense for the past three years? He’s played James Harden style defense without Harden’s offensive efficiency, and Dwight is no longer here to clean up Kobe’s defensive mess.
If he comes back, Kobe may be able to contribute offensively in spots, and the less shots he takes the more efficient he’ll be, but honestly does anyone think Kobe will ever again bother to close out a three point shooter?
Chris J says
My two cents — I don’t desire any changes to the comments. My remarks get caught in filters fairly often but Darius does well in getting them cleared quickly enough. Many people don’t have Facebook accounts, and things like Disquss create problems too. It’s fine as it is, in my opinion.
karen says
This hazing by bs is beyond comprehension. just adds another notch why i hate him. Isn’t interesting you never hear anything more from magic. Would san antonio coach ever do that.