The Kobe Bryant Factor: Post-Lakers

NBA MVP, 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 17-time NBA All-Star, 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, 15-time All-NBA Team Selection, 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team Selection, youngest player to score 32,000 career points, only player in NBA history to have more than 30,000 points and 6,000 assists in a career. All of these accolades are claimed by Kobe Bryant, and for 19 years he has played with the Los Angeles Lakers. Could his 20th year with the team be his last? It’s very possible.

Kobe Bryant has recently told the Los Angeles Lakers that after the 2015-2016 NBA season, he will not re-sign with the team. The majority of people have come to the conclusion that this will signify the end of his career, and he will retire when his 20th season is over with….but will he actually do that? Bryant has never came out and said that he will retire after his career with the Lakers comes to a close. At this time next year, Kobe will be 37 years old and there are still a few players in the NBA at that age or older that are still playing a number of minutes. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, and Paul Pierce are just a few of them, and even though he didn’t play this year, Ray Allen, who in just a couple months will turn 40, is the reason why the Miami Heat have 1 more championship trophy is their display case after hitting a clutch 3 in game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals in order to stay alive against the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe Bryant can definitely still contribute to an NBA team, and will still be able to after next year is over, barring another serious injury.

Just take a look at Bryant’s numbers to show what he can do, especially if he is on a roster where he doesn’t have to be the only player that can contribute a high amount. Before the last 2 seasons, where they were each cut short by season ending injuries, Kobe Bryant played in and started 78 games in the 2012-2013 season. In those 78 games, he shot 46.3% from the field, which is right below his career high from the 2001-2002 season, when he shot 46.9% from the field. He also averaged 27.3 points, 6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game at the age of 34, with Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash. Kobe will have a lot more help this year compared to last year as well. If all goes well, the Lakers starting 5 could very well be Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, either Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, and either Wesley Johnson or Nick “Swaggy P” Young. That’s a heck of a lot better than they had this year for sure, and at the very least it will be exciting and fun to watch. The big thing is, if the team stays relatively healthy, we will get a good glimpse at what Kobe still has left in the tank, and if it is close to what he was able to do in 2012-2013, then I think he will definitely continue his career with a team that is a serious contender for an NBA Championship, if they offer him a contract or if he simply expresses interest in playing for a particular team. That is because lately it’s been the players choosing where they want to play, while the organizations pay them less, and the player will take less money because they want to play with a particular team or player in order to win. Let’s just be real here too. No team is going to give Kobe close to the $25 million dollars that he will make next year with the Lakers. He just isn’t that kind of “max deal” player anymore. A team would most definitely offer him a contract at a discounted price though, especially if it got them closer to a championship when they are so close. His experience in the playoffs is definitely a benefit as well, having had success in winning multiple times. Kobe Bryant is just such a competitor, and he wants to win obviously, so I think he will take one last big shot at a 6th ring before calling it quits. Just my prediction.

I would have no idea which team the “Black Mamba” would try to head to if he were to continue his NBA career after the Lakers, but whatever team got him would have a heck of a competitor, and depending how next season pans out, maybe a solid weapon on the court that still could contribute a solid amount. We do still have another year until we figure out if Kobe will even return for this scenario to happen, but it is fun to speculate and imagine what could be.

Thank you for reading!