Under normal circumstances, Kobe Bryant would step up when the going gets tough for the Los Angeles Lakers. He would want the basketball in his hands and do whatever it takes to pull out the W.
All that best typifies what Kobe has been to the Lakers though the years, this year seems to be different.
Everyone knows that Bryant is entering the final year of his contract with the franchise and could retire if he decides to by the end of the 2015-16 NBA season.
And with that in mind, Kobe knows he has to do something, sacrifice in a sense that would be for the benefit of the franchise that he has played for in his entire career. And that is to hold back as much as he can even if it means passing on opportunities to be the saviour for the rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers quintet.
Knowing Kobe, that task is easier said than done. He has done so for almost his entire 20 years and a sudden downshift to allow the likes of sophomore Jordan Clarkson and rookie D’Angelo Russell is a bold move to take.
Kobe started doing that when the Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings, 132-114, a few days ago. Hard as it may it had to be done, not because he wants to but because the likes of Clarkson and Russell have to learn to decide for themselves in-game.
“Can't do it,” says Bryant after that loss. “Got to let them develop.”
A lot hinges of course on Russell rather than Clarkson. Part of that is because he is a natural point guard, someone that was pegged to be the cream of the crop in the last NBA Draft.
Ideally, first-year players would be given the proper time to develop and take the spotlight. But in the case of the Lakers, the transition needs to happen as soon as possible.
The Lakers have been a woeful sight in the last two seasons, having finished at the lower half of the Western Conference standings. Compounded by the fact that the Lakers didn’t quite do well in the offseason, the focus has now shifted to the new breed – Russell, Clarkson and another sophomore, Julius Randle.
The Lakers may not be able to blossom right now but the fact is that torch has to be passed. Kobe is doing his part, no matter how hard it may be to hold back. But the fact remains that the Lakers will be the eventual winners for such as Kobe slowly exits possibly this coming season.