Aug 15, 2013
Kobe Bryant | The Los Angeles Lakers Pandemic | By: Israel Soliz
There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Even his harshest critics will have to admit that. When Bryant retires he will hold nearly every Los Angeles Lakers record. He has been a central figure in bringing five NBA Championships to the storied franchise but many people are questioning his effect on the team lately.
Is Kobe Bryant hurting the Lakers?
Many people still blame him for the departure of Shaquille O’Neal and are pointing their fingers at The Black Mamba for Dwight Howard leaving the Lakers after just one season. The conventional wisdom is that Bryant’s ego will not allow him to share the spotlight with another superstar.
After Howard decided to sign with the Houston Rockets rumors started circulating the one of the reasons he left Los Angeles was the Lakers’ inability to assure him that Bryant would not be on the team after the 2014 season.
The Lakers are looking to sign a superstar during the summer of 2014. Rumors are that they are looking at LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony as their first choices. But will either of those players want to play with Bryant? And will the Lakers even have enough money to sign a few top players?
Kobe Bryant has one more season left on his contract. For the 2013-14 season he will be paid just over $30 million. When asked if he would take a pay cut for his next contract so the Lakers will have money to go out and get some quality players Bryant said emphatically, “Nah, I’m going to try to get as much as I possibly can.”
It is this type of “me first” attitude that drives fans crazy. Bryant has made it known that wants to win another championship but will he make the sacrifices to make that happen? When James went to the Miami Heat he took less money than he could have got from another team. Chris Bosh did the same thing. The result of that unselfishness has been three straight trips to the NBA Finals and back-to-back championships.
Now that Howard is gone and the “dust has settled” Bryant says he will approach the organization about his next contract. It remains to be seen if Jim Buss and the Lakers front office can convince Bryan to do what is best for the team.
Kobe Bryant has contributed much to the success of the Lakers over the last 17 years but he may be harming the only team he has ever known by thinking only about himself.
Article taken from Sports Passion – The Magazine
