Kobe Bryant’s first month of the season was so ugly that many watching him simply hoped he would retire early or start sitting out a whole lot more games.
In the month of November, Bryant averaged 14.9 points on an unfathomable 29.3 percent shooting from the field – that’s 16.7 attempts per game. Half of those shots weren’t even close and plenty of airballs were thrown. It appeared as though Bryant was done being a useful player on the floor.
Then came the month of December and magically, the superstar guard found his stroke. After shooting better than 40 percent just twice in his first 13 games, Bryant has shot 40 percent or better in seven of his last 11 games. That stat actually doesn’t do him justice: he’s shot 48.2 percent from the field in his last seven games – impressive by any standards.
On Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets, Bryant went off for a season high 31 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field to go with three rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal to help the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-107 win.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround, but he still has his moments to show just how old he feels these days:
Age is a bitch RT @SBNation: Poor Kobe is doing the old man shuffle tonight ???? https://t.co/6lxiBluNBr https://t.co/X6alupKN11”
— Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) December 23, 2015
Jim Park is a blogger and Tweet of the Night author of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.