The Los Angeles Lakers are faced with forcing Kobe Bryant to sit.
Kobe Bryant is an absolute warrior in every sense of the word. We have seen have play through severely sprained ankles, broken fingers, and torn ligaments in his wrist. The one major detail of these injuries is that they all occurred during a time when Bryant’s will and youth pushed him through the pain.
Despite his diminishing skills, 20 years of professional experience is unheard of in any walk of life. Just like the old saying of great power coming with great responsibility, so does great longevity. The responsibility we speak of is maintaining a clean bill of health. While that’s naturally out of Bryant’s control, he’s certainly has a better leash on his circumstances these days.
So much talk surrounded minutes-monitoring for Bryant during this season, but there hasn’t been much done with him averaging just fewer than 30 per game.
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A blown Achilles tendon, fractured knee, and torn rotator cuff have derailed the remaining years for the Black Mamba and led to his career finale. As mentioned, the control that Bryant must practice is maintenance. He’s done some night of rest, but as his achilles nags him and shoulder troubles him, he’s eventually going to have to swallow more pride on this farewell tour.
While his body wants to call it a career, Bryant is doing his due diligence to fans and giving them their money’s worth in his last few appearances. The stops are epic and the attention is legendary, but at some point, Bryant must pick and choose his battles wisely. The All-Star Game is a few weeks away and Bryant is the leading vote-getter.
It’d be a shame if Bryant’s body couldn’t last until that time. Back-to-back games have been where Bryant gets his rest, but it might be best if he shut it down up until the All-Star festivities.
Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, who’s also calling his career this season, has suggested this as an option for Bryant:
BScott said trainer Gary Vitti wants to shut down KB 1-2 weeks. But Scott said he doesn't see that happening
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) January 13, 2016
Obviously his play is affected, averaging a career-low of 34.7 percent shooting from the field. What makes things even more cautious is the fact that at any moment, Bryant’s career could end any night he’s on the floor.
Even Bryant admitted to the physical toll that this year was taking on him early in the season after a victory against the Detroit Pistons:
"“Physically as I stand, I’m not looking forward to walking to the car right now,” Bryant said. “Seriously. I’m not going to BS you. It’s tough.”"
The Lakers continue to struggle while reaping the benefits of a legendary victory lap. If they want to keep enjoying the ride, then they may have to have a realistic conversation with Bryant about making it to the end of the season. It sounds a lot easier than what can be written, so the dilemma that the Lakers are facing is understandable.
The Lakers are already having a hard enough time trying to balance their young core’s growth and Bryant’s retirement. Maybe exploring giving Bryant’s rest would be too much to add to their plate.
Regardless, if the injuries keep festering, then Bryant, the coaching staff, and front office will at least have to start some discussions surrounding a sufficient plan. The team has suffered enough with his previous injuries, and another one under these circumstances would likely be the most devastating.
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No one wants to see a legend forced out of the game, and Bryant definitely doesn’t want to go out this way.