The troubling part of Kobe Bryant’s descent into mediocrity – to be kind and properly deferential – is that the more gullible among us shared his vision of himself. Yes, we were aware of Achilles, knee and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss 123 of 164 games the last two years. But this is basketball’s version of the bionic man. Some of us believed what Lakers coach Byron Scott said after Bryant’s right rotator cuff injury in January. “I think the
We now know for sure that Kobe Bryant will retire as a Laker for life. The farewell tour officially begins tonight in Philadelphia, where he will be booed … most likely. They have booed Kobe in Philly since he was a 17-year-old rookie in the NBA, and Philly fans have a ton of outrage- most of it directed at Sam Hinkie – that they are eager to vent on somebody, anybody. So it will be an interesting start to Bryant’s first
NEW YORK – Some of the 2016 NBA draft’s top prospects were in town for the 2K and Legends Classics with executives drooling over their potential, including Philadelphia’s Sam Hinkie and Boston’s Danny Ainge. With Brooklyn holding the third-worst record in the league (3-12), Ainge should give Nets GM Billy King a Thanksgiving turkey for sending him Brooklyn’s unprotected first-round pick next summer as part of the 2013 trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. However, Hinkie – the man who puts
Based on how the Boston Celtics’ roster is currently assembled, they need to be greater than the sum of their parts in order to succeed. The Celtics undeniably lack star power right now. According to ESPN’s preseason rankings of the league’s top 400 players, Isaiah Thomas is Boston’s best player at 65th overall. Only the Nuggets, Lakers and Sixers have their top player ranked lower. Yet through 13 games, Boston boasts a statistically elite defense thanks to coach Brad Stevens and
With their record standing at 15-0, the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of setting a new record for the best start in NBA history when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. So can they pull it off? The odds are overwhelmingly in their favor to do so, but the Lakers do have this on their side: they managed to beat Golden State, which went into the game with a 23-3 record – last season at the Staples Center despite
It’s time for the Los Angeles Lakers to get serious about rebuilding. The Lakers aren’t making the playoffs this season. They are 2-9, with losses already to Minnesota, Sacramento, Denver, New York and Dallas twice. One of their wins came against Brooklyn. The only thing between the Lakers and the bottom of the Western Conference is the New Orleans Pelicans, who have almost as many injuries as the 3rd Ranger Battalion. This is uncharted territory for the Lakers, who already have missed
NEW YORK – You don’t need a watch to know Father Time has caught up to Kobe Bryant. With that in mind, I asked Bryant what he wants his legacy to be when he retires. “As a talented overachiever,” Bryant replied with a laugh. “I really worked my butt off every single day to make sure I left no stone unturned and try to push it as much as I possibly could.” “My message has been consistent all the time,” Bryant said. “If
The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets went into Friday’s contest at the Barclays Center without a single win between the two teams on the season. Naturally, one team had to end the losing streak so Kobe Bryant and company gladly obliged. [Read more…]