Is there any chance Kobe gets sick of the team’s failure and pursue one more championship run with someone else?
Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant (right) has fared much better this season than many critics envisioned, but what does that mean for him and his relationship with this year’s Lakers?
It is evident that the Lakers are massive long-shots to make the playoffs and have a long ways to go before reaching contender status that they have firmly established throughout their history.
When Julius Randle and Steve Nash went down for the season, the Lakers lost two big pieces to their rotations, which led to their current lack of depth.
Randle’s rookie cohort Xavier Henry is also out for the year and Ryan Kelly has missed almost all season so far, furthering the plight of Los Angeles this year and potentially next year.
With Bryant playing at a high level, you get the feeling that it’s only a matter of time before he comes out and says that the Lakers better make drastic changes, “or else”.
That “or else” is Bryant doing what Lakers fans around the world wouldn’t even fathom, leaving.
But that won’t happen and I will explain why.
Bryant “trusts” the Lakers organization and has stated various times that he will be a “Laker for life”. It wouldn’t make sense to leave the Lakers at this stage of his career, despite not having a chance at a sixth NBA Championship.
It appears that Bryant will have to deal with the losses this season, but this season can have some positives as well. Bryant will realize that he has another two or three years left in him and might decide to play beyond his contract that ends in 2016.
Bryant has already made it clear at the start of this season, that he will remain a Laker no matter what.
Bryant also stated that you can’t just enjoy the successful times and runaway from the bad ones.
These comments are an indicator of where Bryant’s heart and mind are. The Lakers showed their faith and loyalty to him when they gave him a two-year, $48.5 million contract despite the rash of injuries that have plagued him the last couple seasons.
Bryant and company will have a forgetful season this year as the Lakers (6-16) are laboring through this difficult time. But if Bryant changes his mind, he could play an extra year or two after his contract ends in 2016.
Maybe the Lakers will bring enough talent to surround Bryant next season, to make them a contender and potentially one last chance at matching Michael Jordan’s six championships.
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