AP Photo/Pat Sullivan
Each week we'll ask the Brothers Kamenetzky to do a quick read on the state of Mr. Bryant's game.
It's been an interesting week for the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant.
The first four-game losing streak since April of 2007 has fans understandably on edge. Most of the conversation this week has centered around offensive balance. Shot selection. Is Kobe shooting too much? Is he throwing things out of whack? Is he reverting back to "selfish Kobe?"
Regarding the first two, I'll say this: When Bryant dominates the ball and his teammates don't get enough touches -- not shots, but touches -- it hurts the team's offensive flow in a big way. (This, it should be noted, hurts them at the other end, as well.) I think he set a bad tone early against Indiana, shooting 11 times in the first quarter, contributing to a lack of early ball and player movement hurting them all game, and yes, the 33 shots he took that night were too many. I thought Kobe was bad in Memphis as well, again dominating the ball far too much, and not showing nearly enough restraint or willingness to run the offense.
As for the Selfish Kobe thing, no, I don't think Bryant has regressed. I need to see a much longer pattern of bad choices and a lack of trust before I'd slap him with that tag. Every time Kobe overshoots, it doesn't provide some profound peek behind the curtain to Bryant's true nature. Let's not be overly dramatic.
But lost in all this stuff? He's just not playing very well. Only three times in his last 10 games has Kobe shot better than 45 percent from the floor, and only once in his last seven games has he managed to do it (Nov. 26 vs. Utah, when he was 10-for-21). Over those seven games, he's shooting 40.2 percent from the floor, and a totally underwhelming nine-for-30 (30 percent) from beyond the arc. For all his postgame focus on defense when talking to the media, he hasn't distinguished himself on that end, either (in that, Kobe has a great deal of company).
What we may have is an old fashioned slump. It's not a word used in reference to Kobe all that often, but it's possible the slow start we all expected is actually manifesting itself now, 19 or so games into the season.
We've typically used this opportunity to report various observations about Kobe. But in light of a recent four game losing streak, I'm actually more intrigued by what lies ahead than what we've just seen.
This skid isn't the sign of the horseman or the apocalypse, but it's nonetheless uncharted waters for this incarnation of the Lakers. The last time a quartet of games were dropped in succession was April 2007, a regular season setting the table for a meek 4-1 bow to the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, then the disgruntled Kobe radio tour.
I don't expect nearly as emotional a reaction from Kobe this time around, but it doesn't change the fact patience isn't always his strongest suit. Will Kobe press the issue against Sacramento to get off the purple and gold schneid? I hope not.
For starters, I don't think Bryant in "hell or high water" mode equals Bryant at his most effective. This tactic sends the message Kobe doesn't believe in his teammates. The Lakers are undoubtedly struggling at the moment, but at their core they remain a championship-caliber team. Even if it led to a W, Kobe treating a home game against the 4-12 Sacramento Kings like a mandatory occasion to don a cape is a bad thing.
(Unless he played superhero by setting the defensive example he's been preaching these days. That's a one man show I could get behind.)
FAQs
A Career in Basketball
Since he was six years old, Kobe had dreamt of becoming a professional basketball player. When he was 17, he decided to leave school to follow his dream. A few months after his 18th birthday, Kobe joined the LA Lakers – a team that he had supported since he was a young boy.
How many years did Kobe play for LA? ›
Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons for the Lakers in his career.
What number was Kobe Bryant before he died? ›
When late Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from eight to 24 during the 2006-07 season, he explained it at the time as "growth" from his prior digits.
Where is Kobe Bryant buried? ›
The small cemetery where Kobe Bryant is buried contains the graves of some notable people — including one arguably as famous as the basketball star. Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were buried Friday at Pacific View Memorial Park in Newport Beach. They were killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.
Why Kobe has 2 numbers? ›
The significance of the numbers 8 and 24 in Kobe Bryant's career goes beyond mere digits on a jersey. Both numbers encapsulate different phases of his journey as a basketball player and as an individual. The number 8 symbolizes his early dominance and emergence as a prodigious talent in the NBA.
What is Kobe best known for? ›
Kobe Bryant (born August 23, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died January 26, 2020, Calabasas, California) was an American professional basketball player, who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to five championships (2000–02 and 2009–10).
What age did Kobe quit? ›
Kobe retired on April 13, 2016, at the age of 37 and scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz, in a game he came from behind and won by himself. He was capable of that and more. Like the night he scored 81 points in a 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors.
How old was Kobe during his last game? ›
In his final game on April 13, 2016, at 37 years old, he became the oldest player to score 60 points in a single game and set the highest point total in the . Bryant was just 41 years old when he died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.
Where does Kobe Bryant live? ›
What jobs did Kobe Bryant have? ›
Kobe Bryant was a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for his entire 20-year career.
Kobe Bryant hit 1,827 three-pointers in his career.
Why did Kobe wear 33? ›
33 was the number my father wore in high school, so I just switched it to carry on the lineage.” When Bryant jumped from Lower Merion High School to the professional ranks joining the Lakers, Bryant did not even have the opportunity to select number 33.
Why does Kobe wear 8? ›
Why does Kobe wear 24 and 8? According to ESPN, he chose the number based on his Adidas camp number, 143. It adds up to eight, and was the number he wore in Italy when he was younger.
Was Kobe number 7? ›
Kobe Bryant
| Personal information |
|---|
| Playing career | 1996–2016 |
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| Number | 8, 24 |
| Career history |
25 more rowsKobe!" Retired NBA stars Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade, and Tim Duncan along with entertainer Jennifer Lopez and her fiance retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez and late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel were all in attendance for the ceremony.
Why is Kobe's grave unmarked? ›
Wayne's son Ethan told the Los Angeles Times in 2004 that the grave was unmarked out of respect for people buried nearby so their plots wouldn't get trampled. Ethan Wayne added, though, that the family supports visitors.
What are some facts about the name Kobe? ›
The first known use of Kobe comes from biblical times with the spelling of Koby. In Hebrew and Greek, Koby is a pet name for Jacob, meaning "supplanter." In Swahili, Kobe translates to “tortoise” or “turtle”.
What is a fact about Kobe Bryant for kids? ›
He became the second youngest NBA player in history when the 1996–97 season began. In his second season he was selected for the NBA All-Star Game, becoming the youngest All-Star. By the time Bryant was 23, the Lakers had won three consecutive NBA championships.
What was Kobe named after? ›
Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, the youngest of three children and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryant. He was also the maternal nephew of NBA player John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.
Despite his history with Boston, the Black Mamba also revealed that his favorite color is not the purple and gold he's rocked for the entirety of his career, but has always been green.
AP Photo/Pat Sullivan
