Lakers’ Player Spotlight: Kobe Bryant
- Updated: October 24, 2015
The Los Angeles Lakers are a historic franchise consisting of numerous legends on and off the court. The Lakers have won 16 championships with 5 titles coming in the 2000s. The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996 with the 13th overall pick, but Jerry West and the Lakers constructed a deal to acquire Kobe. He has been with the franchise for 3 decades, being the longest-active tenured NBA player to remain with one franchise.
The last few years have been a rollercoaster for Kobe Bryant. He’s a player who’s played through various injuries growing up in the NBA. The last two years he’s dealt with a torn Achilles tendon and tearing his rotator cuff. Many fans remember Kobe Bryant knocking down two free throws before limping off the court due to a torn Achilles tendon. With the health of Kobe being questionable, the Lakers franchise has been going through a rebuilding process. He has left a standard on what hard work and dedication takes to win for the younger generation.
Kobe Bryant has earned his respect in the NBA, spending his whole career with one franchise through the ups and downs. Laker fans can recall many memories that Bryant has created in the Staples Center or on the road. Fans witnessed clutch moments from the joy of bringing multiple championships to a storied organization. Kobe isn’t accustomed to ending his season early as he has missed the playoffs only four times in his career.
Every year Kobe comes into the season with a different skill that he’s acquired during the summer or mid season. Bryant has accomplished every team and individual accolade in the NBA. This past season Kobe was able to pass Michael Jordan on the NBA all-time scoring list. This moment was huge because MJ is a player that has all of the respect from Bryant, as he emulated Jordan’s moves on the court for his career. Kobe is 4,446 points behind the second all time second scoring leader, Karl Malone. Bryant is 5,905 points away from the all time scoring leader and Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant knows his time in the NBA as a player is closing in, but his competitive nature is going to keep him on the court as a threat to expose the defense.
The Lakers are going to shut the 37-year old Bryant for the rest of the preseason, with the regular season beginning on October 28th. Byron Scott has told the press “There’s a chance, but I’m not going to put a percentage on it,” Scott said after practice on Sunday. Bryant averaged 22.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.6 apg during 35 games last season. Kobe’s minutes are expected to drop, as they need him to stay healthy and keep his veteran leadership around for the year.
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