Los Angeles Lakers: Jeremy Lin is the Franchise PG
Kobe’s Protege, Part I: The Co-Sign
Does anything matter more than this?
Jeremy Lin comes to a Los Angeles Lakers organization that’s in unfamiliar territory. Its franchise player, Kobe Bryant, is 36 years old and coming off of a pair of severe injuries with a lackluster supporting cast behind him.
Someone has to be developed for the future. That someone is Lin.
Jeremy Lin says Kobe's taken on a "mentorship" role: "That's something I don't think I've had in my past 4 years in the league."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 10, 2014
This isn’t an isolated report.
Both Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report—multiple times, for what it’s worth—and Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News have covered Bryant’s mentorship of Lin.
Whether or not Lin pans out is another conversation, but having Bryant’s co-sign makes him the franchise point guard. He’s under the wing of one of the most decorated players in NBA history.
More importantly, he’s under the wing of the face of the franchise.
Bryant’s pull in Los Angeles has been debated in recent years, but he remains the cash cow and the lone source of optimism.
He’s not so arguably the most popular player in California sports and is the Lakers’ best shot at relevancy in 2014-15.
With Bryant on his side, Lin can go as far as he pushes himself—or as far as Kobe pushes him.
Next: Commitment to Defense