Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to have ever stepped on hardwood. His many personal and team-oriented achievements leave no room for arguments about his legacy and his rightful place in the NBA Hall of Fame.
With the recent controversy surrounding not only the Lakers’ record-setting start to the 2014-2015 Regular Season, but also Bryant’s championship-record contract, it’s time to unlock the secrets of the black mamba mindset as the Lakers continue to action.
With high hopes that Bryant will return to Staples Center at full strength, the Los Angeles Front Office went to great lengths this past offseason to recruit some of the League’s most valuable and sought-after Stars. Rumors have circulated with the names of Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love and even LeBron James, who could pack their bags to play with the number 24 themselves.
To the chagrin of Jeanie Buss and the rest of the Laker Nation, none of the coveted Superstars made the leap to purple and gold. Out of apparent frustration, shock and, to be honest, lack of viable options, the Lakers were almost forced to sign unproven leader Jeremy Lin and power forward Carlos Boozer after losing Power Center Pau Gasol to the Chicago Bulls through free agency.
The question here is not whether the Lakers Front Office and coaching staff are satisfied with the current roster and the failure to sign another Superstar free agent, but whether Bryant is worried about the imminent end of one of the largest, if not sports organizations. of all time?
Almost a year ago, Kobe Bryant, then 35 years old, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for a two-year extension worth million. Immediately become the highest paid player in the League. Questions about Kobe’s willingness to improve the Roster began to burn at every turn. But has Kobe’s decision to sign such an impressive contract really been the subject of discussion or speculation?
Kobe, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the perception, has always been a relatively selfish player. The high school phenomenon systematically moved future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal out of the Los Angeles locker room a year after the completion of the three rarely completed bogs.
He slowly began to build a reputation as the most difficult individual to play, while demanding championship-worthy performances from a “reconstruction formation”. More recently, Kobe has seemed to be moving away from the rest of the League’s elite talent.
With defensive Superstar Dwight Howard leaving Los Angeles this offseason in favor of the Houston Rockets and Free Agency Error, Kobe has become the old man no one wants to date. But then again, is that what Kobe wanted?
With a small team and almost complete control over the team’s Cap Space, Kobe achieved exactly what he seemed to want all along. He now has complete control over the Los Angeles Lakers and no one is stopping him from surpassing Michael Jordan on the list of all-time Scorers.
At the start of the 2014-15 season, Kobe ranked 4th (31,973) on the all-time scoring list, while NBA legend Michael Jordan finished one place ahead of Mamba (32,292). Assuming the injured 36-year-old plays all 82 regular-season games, he would need an average of 10.6 points per game to match his ease.
However, it is fairly safe to assume that Kobe will not be active for each of these 82 games. Therefore, Bryant would most likely need a conservative average of 18-20 points per game to ensure his place on the all-time Scoring list. This is Kobe’s only motivation to continue lacing it up at the age of 36.
It seems that Kobe’s entire career has been focused solely on overcoming Jordan and becoming the greatest player of all time. That’s why it would be imperative for Kobe to get his hands on the team’s Cap Space and make sure that he is the only Superstar on the list. As the only functional scorer of the team, Kobe will now be free on the rude side of the field.
That probably wouldn’t be the matter if the Lakers had signed a Superstar free agent like Carmelo Anthony, one of the league’s top scorers. Without another talented scorer, Kobe practically established himself as the third best scorer in the history of the NBA.
in addition, Kobe was undeniably looking for his sixth NBA championship. However, it is clear that Bryant is worried about how he will win his Jordan Matching championship ring instead of winning it at all. After the Miami Heat Big Three, NBA critics would undoubtedly question the importance of Kobe’s sixth Championship if he were forced to recruit other Superstars to help him do it. Kobe is a loner in every sense of the word and trying to win a sixth Championship would be no exception. He wants to do it his way, on his terms, and he wants to be the “man”.”
although Kobe has put the Lakers and their future at risk, he will undoubtedly exceed the overall size of his predecessor, Michael Jordan. He will remain one of the greatest players of all time and perhaps even the highest ranked Laker. There is little success on his part, and he will always be remembered as a assassin, a assassin and, most importantly, a Champion.
