Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015, in New Orleans. The Pelicans won 96-80. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
Kobe Bryant has said he has no interest in prolonging his NBA career if he cannot match his own expectations in still playing at an elite level. But the Lakers’ star has also said he wants to maximize his longevity, playing different styles and roles to squeeze out the immense talent that has already secured five NBA championships and a third-place standing on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
How Bryant looks in the 2015-16 season in what likely marks the last of a 20-year career remains anyone’s guess. But Bryant maintained in an upcoming interview airing Monday night on NBA TV that he will evolve his game just fine after recently having season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
“You adjust,” Bryant told NBA TV’s Ahmad Rashad. “It’s not like I look at the process of losing a few steps here or there, getting older and saying, ‘Damn, I wish I could do it.’ Of course, I wish I could do it. But the reality is I can’t.”
Bryant discovered that the hard way in the 2014-15 season. He averaged 22.3 points albeit on a career-low 37.3 percent shooting in 35 games. There were some memorable moments, including surpassing Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list against Minnesota, posting two triple doubles against Toronto and Denver and dishing a career-high 17 assists against Cleveland. But there were also head-scratching moments, including poor shooting performances against Sacramento (8-of-30), Charlotte (7-of-2) and San Antonio (1-of-14).
After averaging 35.4 minutes through the first 27 games of the season, Bryant played between 30-32 minutes and missed half of the next 16 games for rest purposes. Yet, Lakers coach Byron Scott has envisioned Bryant will play in the 20-minute range next season assuming the front office assembles a stronger supporting cast. Bryant also invoked other NBA greats that evolved their game, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Jerry West. Bryant expressed optimism he can take the same approach.
“For me to look at where I am now and say I don’t have the physical abilities that I had back then. But it doesn’t mean I still can’t be a dominant or a great player,” Bryant said. “There’s been plenty of players on the league that haven’t had that speed or athleticism that still have been able to dominate. So why can’t I?”
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