Father time is slowly catching up with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He is nearing retirement. Last season, Bryant, being the only star on the roster, appeared in only six games for the Lakers. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in April of 2013 and broke a bone in his knee in December of 2013, and has had a tough time recovering from both injuries.
However, now, Bryant appears to be full recovered and is ready to return to the Lakers lineup this upcoming season. Bryant received some encouragement from former Olympic teammate James Harden, as Harden said he expects a 20-year old Kobe this year.
With all that being said, Los Angeles Lakers new head coach Byron Scott has different plans for Kobe Bryant.
From A Martínez and Jacob Margolis of 89.3 KPCC
(via Basketball Insiders):
Now you’ve known Kobe Bryant since he was a teenager, since he first got to the league. You were on the first team he played on with the Lakers. When it comes to Kobe Bryant, he’s been in the league a long time, a lot of miles on those wheels. How are you going to get him to relax? To just sit down once in a while?
Yeah, Kobe’s his own man. We know how hard he works, we know how driven he is. But I think he’s at the point too where he’s so much more mature, and he understands that he only has a few more miles left on that body, you know, maybe two, maybe three years. And I think he’s probably more acceptable to accept the fact that you can’t practice every day. There might be some games where you can’t play this game or that game. But that’s all to be determined. We have to sit down before training camp and go over some things because I can’t have him going twice a day in training camp. That’s what the young guys are supposed to do. He’s been here long enough and understands his game better than anybody here, what it takes to win. I got to use that knowledge that he has as well. I’m going to treat him like he’s an assistant coach as well as a player.
Many people have blamed Mike D'Antoni for Kobe Bryant's major Achilles injury in 2013, which is, on some level, agreeable. D'Antoni played Bryant 40-plus minutes for seven straight games. That is inexcusable.
Nevertheless, Lakers nation is hoping Kobe Bryant will be able to play at a high level this season and will remain healthy for the entire year.
