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 The 'Black Mamba' has made a habit of draining game-winning shots
despite being double or triple-teamed, establishing a reputation for
being one of the best ever closers in the National Basketball
Association as a shooting guard.
At times, Bryant has been accused of being a ball-hog, though he has
frequently excelled as a facilitator and is unrivalled in the modern
game when it comes to basketball IQ.
As he approaches his 20th, and perhaps final, season in the league,
Bryant is preparing for a very different role for the Lakers in a
bid to curb a growing list of injuries in recent years after
succumbing to the influence of Father Time.
He spent almost eight months on the sidelines in 2013 with a torn
Achilles' tendon, then played just six games during the 2013-14
season because of a severe knee injury.
Last season, Bryant played 35 games for the Lakers but increasingly
suffered soreness in his knees, feet and back, prompting coach Byron
Scott to cut back significantly on his playing time going forward
while altering his on-court role.
"If this is his last year, I want him to go out standing," Scott
told reporters about the 37-year-old Bryant while preparing his team
for the 2015-16 season. "I don't want him to go out hurt.
"I want to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure we
stick to the game plan ... trying to make that (his playing time) as
limited as possible and also back-to-back games.
"I want to win and I know having him on the court gives me the best
opportunity to win, but I also know that I've got to think about him
more than anything."
Named Kobe by his parents after they spotted the popular Japanese
cut of beef on a restaurant menu shortly before his birth, Bryant
has already established himself as one of the NBA's greatest players
ever.
MULTIPLE HONORS
He has appeared in 17 All-Star games, was named Most Valuable Player
for the 2007-08 season and landed MVP honors in 2009 and 2010 as he
led the Lakers to consecutive NBA Championship titles.
All too often, Bryant has won games almost single-handedly but, as
he heads into his 20th season, he looks forward to playing second
fiddle behind the youthful backcourt of Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo
Russell when it comes to ball-handling.
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"All minutes aren't created equal," said Bryant. "We've got some
guys here this year that can really take a lot off me -- D'Angelo
and Clarkson and their ability to handle and create and make plays,
and Julius (Randle) making plays.
"I think the minutes that I do play won't be as heavy of minutes as
they have been."
Bryant intends to fully embrace playing off the ball and 'spotting
up', a role he relished early in his career before former Lakers
head coach Phil Jackson persuaded him to become the go-to ball
handler for the Los Angeles team.
"I do not like setting up the offense," said Bryant. "I hate it.
Phil made me do it years ago, and I had to learn how to do it years
ago to set up the triangle.
"I haven't played with point guards that are playmakers at heart and
D'Angelo is a ridiculous playmaker. I'd much rather catch and shoot
or catch then one, two dribble pull-up. You guys know I like scoring
the ball."
Bryant has won five NBA championship rings, and averaged 25.4 points
and 4.8 assists per game during his glittering career in the league.
Despite the adverse effects of ageing on a body which has clocked up
more playing time in NBA history than all but four other players,
expect Bryant to once again deliver the extraordinary for the Lakers
during his 2015-16 campaign.
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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reserved.]
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