Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant The Worst Teammate Ever?
By Marcus Bass
The Boston Celtics and Seattle Supersonics were tied, and with five seconds left Boston called a timeout. Former Celtics coach K.C. Jones drew a play that required more patience than Larry Bird had in the tank. Bird responded by looking Jones directly in the eye and saying,
"“Why don’t you just give me the ball and tell everybody else to get the hell out of the way?”"
Jones had the same reaction then as Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott had a few days ago. When Kobe Bryant told teammates to “get the f*** out of my way,” Scott gave the ball to his star. The only difference is the Celtics actually won that game. The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets 101-94 in overtime.
It encapsulates Kobe as a teammate, and make no mistake; at this stage of his career he doesn’t make suggestions. Bryant doesn’t hint at what the final play should be in the crucial moments of a game. When he’s on the floor, there’s no question in his mind as to who should take the final shot. When his mind is made up, it’s either step aside or step off.
That moment supported most of Bryant’s criticisms, some he’s endured his whole career in addition to a few new ones. Most agreed that Bryant wouldn’t return to the superstar level he operated at after a variety of serious injuries. When his last second attempt for the Lakers win fell short of the cup, it was certainly dished as a dose of reality. It’s unlikely that Bryant digested that moment in the same light.
It wasn’t as if Bryant has led the Lakers to an 11-3 record, it’s been quite the opposite in the their first stretch winning only three games of their first 15. It obviously made no difference that he missed four shots in the fourth quarter before claiming the last-second attempt in what was an all too familiar scenario of Bryant who leads in the NBA’s most missed buckets. Conversely, he’s taken a large chunk of them too.
It’s what keeps Kobe in the lead for the “who’s the biggest jerk in the league” conversation. At what’s looking like the beginning of the end (of his career), it’s fair to question if Kobe Bryant has been the worst teammate in NBA history.
Worst teammate, probably not. One of the worst communicators — very possible.
It’s been a complex 19 years in the league for Bryant, and it’s possible that two decades of harsh criticism has grown him into one of the league’s eldest and grumpiest veterans. Kobe’s berated teammates in private and public, and has removed anyone from the Lakers that he didn’t deem worthy of his purple and gold company.
He’s been everything to the Lakers, from hero to dictator and as he’s been painted most recently a tyrant. This example was only a rat’s nostril worth of how important Bryant has been to the Lakers, and how abrasive of a person he’s become.
As certain a Hall of Fame inductee as they come, Bryant won’t have to wait too long to receive that call. His greatness has never been in question; his personality and ability to lead with chaos and destruction in the rear-view is. While Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak huddle in the Lakers front office to decide on who will take up Bryant’s mantle, they need to take a hard look at the self-built frankenstein he’s become and decide if they will pursue a carbon copy or polar opposite.
He’s not the league’s best or worst anything. As it relates to the Lakers, Kobe Bryant could be the worst teammate ever to wear the uniform. A history of personal championships and accolades do that to a player — some players. If Bryant isn’t careful in how he pushes his weight around the Lakers current locker room, he’s in danger of being pushed out (mentally).
He’s still putting up buckets, but while most expect a veteran on his way out of the league to exude humility especially within his own locker room, Bryant has shown the opposite. Being competitive is one thing, however when your game outweighs your ego a reality check needs to happen.
Bryant’s farewell years and what should be an effort to prolong them could easily turn into a retirement countdown. He’s been one of the best at entering the league and setting his mark, hopefully he’ll exit on the same accord.