Prime Time?
Earlier this week, Kobe Bryant turned 28 years old. While I'm sure this was a happy occasion in the Bryant household, I couldn't help but be reminded that it means Kobe has been in the league for 10 years.
Has it really been a decade? I can still remember the skinny, fresh-faced youngster with the bald head who electrified Laker fans with jaw-dropping dunks. I still remember worrying what Kobe's arrival would ultimately mean for Eddie Jones, who was my favorite Laker at the time. Of course three straight championships made it a lot easier to forget about Eddie.
Most NBA players enter their prime around age 28. And scoring wise, last year was undoubtedly Kobe's best season. But given that Kobe entered the league at the age of 18 and has been in the playoffs all but one season, I wonder how long that prime can last and whether Kobe can find a way to win another championship with the Lakers before he leaves the team.
Frankly, I don't have any idea. Part of me takes solace in the fact that the team almost defeated the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs and the Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals. The same part of me hopes that Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown will improve and that Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar will develop into all-stars and provide enough of a supporting cast for Kobe to get the job done. The same part of me appreciates that Phil Jackson, the greatest basketball coach ever, is leading the team.
The other part of me is worried about the wear-and-tear on Kobe over the last 10 years. It sees that the Lakers' window is closing and wonders how the team could ever beat San Antonio or Dallas. It fears that Lamar doesn't have enough intensity and Kwame doesn't care enough. It sees Bynum as nothing more than a stiff and wonders if it wasn't an accident that Farmar dropped near the bottom of the first round of the draft. It remembers that Jackson only has two more years left on his contract.
Well, regardless of whichever part of me turns out to be right, I know one thing for certain. Whatever happens I'll be watching. After 10 years, I know at the very least I'll get a good show.
Has it really been a decade? I can still remember the skinny, fresh-faced youngster with the bald head who electrified Laker fans with jaw-dropping dunks. I still remember worrying what Kobe's arrival would ultimately mean for Eddie Jones, who was my favorite Laker at the time. Of course three straight championships made it a lot easier to forget about Eddie.
Most NBA players enter their prime around age 28. And scoring wise, last year was undoubtedly Kobe's best season. But given that Kobe entered the league at the age of 18 and has been in the playoffs all but one season, I wonder how long that prime can last and whether Kobe can find a way to win another championship with the Lakers before he leaves the team.
Frankly, I don't have any idea. Part of me takes solace in the fact that the team almost defeated the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs and the Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals. The same part of me hopes that Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown will improve and that Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar will develop into all-stars and provide enough of a supporting cast for Kobe to get the job done. The same part of me appreciates that Phil Jackson, the greatest basketball coach ever, is leading the team.
The other part of me is worried about the wear-and-tear on Kobe over the last 10 years. It sees that the Lakers' window is closing and wonders how the team could ever beat San Antonio or Dallas. It fears that Lamar doesn't have enough intensity and Kwame doesn't care enough. It sees Bynum as nothing more than a stiff and wonders if it wasn't an accident that Farmar dropped near the bottom of the first round of the draft. It remembers that Jackson only has two more years left on his contract.
Well, regardless of whichever part of me turns out to be right, I know one thing for certain. Whatever happens I'll be watching. After 10 years, I know at the very least I'll get a good show.
posted by The Pocho at 10:02 AM
2 Comments:
Well, Kobe's got a lot of mileage on him but MJ played (albeit on and off) until he was 40, so who knows. I can see Kobe playing at a high level for 4-5 years still at the least. I seriously doubt he'll win another title though. Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum all-stars?? That's a good one. I project Farmar at best as an Eric Snow/Derek Fisher level player. As for Bynum . . . well he's still young but in summer ball he sounded more like a poor man's Benoit Benjamin than a poor man's anyone good.
I'm just trying to be a little optimistic. Although I actually liked some of what I saw from Farmar and Bynum at the summer league this year.
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