NBA Los Angeles Lakers

In Defense of Kobe Bryant

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By @IanClarkMcEwan

Kobe Bryant Rises Up To Shoot

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Following a 115-105 win against the short-handed Golden State Warriors in which Kobe Bryant did not play, the Los Angeles Lakers have a decision to make. On Christmas Day, when it is presumed Kobe will reenter the lineup, how much ball handling and scoring responsibilities should Kobe retain? According to fans and pundits, the answers range from “less” to “none.” This is foolish, myopic thinking.
 
Kobe Bryant will never again average 35 points per game for a full season, nor score 81 points in a single game or win another dunk contest. He’s not being asked to play every game of a grueling 82-game season anymore. He’s not being asked to shut down the opposing team’s best offensive perimeter player anymore. At age 36, this should not come as a surprise to anyone. His task this season is to lead a team of misfits, outcasts and inexperienced players toward improvement, while also testing the limits of his own capabilities to figure out what he’s still able to do. Let us not forget, it was only April 2013 when his career was in doubt. He’s played 33 NBA games since that point in time. We have not seen the final form Kobe will take as he finishes his career. Adjusting to the realities he cannot take over a game at will anymore will take more time. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth waiting for.
 
Kobe ‘s muse, Michael Jordan, dealt with similar limitations following his return to the NBA with the Washington Wizards. In his first season in DC, Jordan shot 41 percent with 2.7 turnovers a game en route to a 22.9 point per game average while playing 34.9 minutes per game. He did this while turning 39 in February of that year. The next season, Jordan played all 82 games, while increasing his shooting percentage to 44.5 percent, with 2.1 turnovers per game, en route to 20 points per game. At an age conventional wisdom suggested Jordan shouldn’t have found ways to improve, but he did. He still averaged 18.6 shot attempts a game his last season, after averaging 22.1 the year before. For the record, Kobe Bryant is averaging 22.4 shot attempts this season.
 
Kobe has also taken criticism for his etiquette as a teammate. An article by ESPN’s Henry Abbott made him out to be a selfish, me-first player whose disregard for his teammates borders on the sociopathic. Let’s forget that stars including Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Pau Gasol have been public in their defense of Kobe regarding interest in playing with him; why didn’t we hear these things with the same ferocity when Pau, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were teammates? Kobe even suggested the Lakers trade Bynum for Jason Kidd, and the two were able to win two titles together.
 
What am I getting at? This is the same Kobe we’ve been privileged to watch for 19 seasons. It’s proven that his aggressive, drill sergeant demeanor can get the most out of teammates who have untapped greatness in them. Odom, after receiving criticism as someone who struggled with consistent focus and intensity, won sixth man of the year alongside Kobe. Bynum produced his only season averaging a double-double, the culmination of five years of consistent improvement when healthy, with Kobe leading the way. Gasol gained recognition as one of the best big men in the game as Kobe’s pick-and-roll partner, after failing to win a playoff series with the Memphis Grizzlies.
 
The problem is that Kobe isn’t making enough of the shots he’s taking. This leaves the Lakers with two options. Either Kobe must begin to make more shots or take fewer, and by doing so, miss less. Jordan was met with this same choice and chose to shoot less. Kobe’s present to basketball fans everywhere will be an answer to this question on Christmas, against the Chicago Bulls and his former teammate, Pau Gasol.
Ian McEwan is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @IanClarkMcEwan,“Like”him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. He is not the British author.
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