Everyone following the NBA would love nothing more than to see Kobe Bryant finish off his last season. But is Kobe durable enough to hold on until the end of the regular season?
Kobe came into the season a bit fragile. That eventually led to the Lakers star guard to accept the fact that his body is no longer as sturdy as it used to be, thus retirement. It was something many speculated but didn’t want to hear. But being through a lot in his 20-years of NBA playing, the unwanted announcement came.
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As things stand now, Kobe is simply going through the motion of ending his career on a bright note. That starts by completing an NBA season, something that he hasn’t been able to do for the past years.
He has been feted left and right as he counts down his playing days on the various basketball courts of opposing teams. But the thing is, Kobe continues to struggle with varying injuries, mostly keeping him in the sidelines lately.
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Lakers trainer Gary Vitti believes that Kobe should be taking some time off to properly recover if he does intend to play out the season. But head coach Byron Scott sees that far from happening.
"[Vitti] would love to shut [Bryant] down," says Lakers coach Byron Scott via ESPN. "But that probably isn't going to happen. [Bryant] doesn't want to shut it down."
Scott adds, "My biggest concern is I want that man to finish the season standing up on the court and getting the respect he deserves."
Though many may see Kobe’s goal as admirable, it does hinder the Lakers’ transition from his era to the next.
Remember that general manager Mitch Kupchak did say that the Lakers cannot make their moves with Kobe still around, meaning changes may only take place by season’s end when Kobe officially retires via the LA Times.
So the better question to ask is perhaps this: Can Kobe last and finish his last NBA season?
He has had problems with his legs, capped by his recent Achilles strain. The degree of the injury doesn’t seem to be season-ending but at the rate that Kobe is being utilized, the grind ahead may become too much for the future NBA Hall of Famer.
With that said, would it not be better for Kobe Bryant to simply retire now than force the issue?
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