It may be Kobe being Kobe, but then again, it could explain the Lakers' dismal record in 2015-16.
Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' veteran all-star guard refused to name a successor to his throne in Los Angeles, uproxx.com reported. Los Angeles drafted point guard D'Angelo Russell with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft with hopes that he could be the next Lakers superstar.
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The Black Mamba told a group of reporters that he has not "passed the torch" to any of his teammates as the next leader of the team.
"Torches never get passed," he said, according to the Orange County Register. "You have to earn them."
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That would have been all well and good if Bryant had stopped there. Of course, he didn't.
"Prodded a little further about who might assume the role of a potential team leader for the Lakers moving forward, he responded 'if you have to ask that question, the answer's already there.' He doubled down on that assessment later when asked about why type of player the Lakers should draft (undoubtedly with a very high pick in the lottery this summer) when he said 'a franchise player.'"
The 20-year-old Russell is averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for Los Angeles but is shooting just 42 percent from the floor.
The Lakers, who won a franchise low 21 games last season, need to win six of their last nine games to avoid setting a new record.
Russell's presence certainly has lacked the excitement of Magic Johnson's rookie season in 1979-80 when the No. 1 overall draft pick helped the Lakers improve by 13 games and win an NBA championship.
Los Angeles had a 56-26 record in 1996-97 when Kobe was a rookie, which was a three-game improvement over the previous season. But the Lakers also acquired Shaquille O'Neal in the offseason, while the 18-year-old Bryant tried to get acclimated to the NBA.
Russell hasn't proven he can't be the next franchise player for the Lakers; let's just say that he has done little to prove to their current franchise player that he assume that role.
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