A day I’ve been dreading for awhile has arrived.
It’s time to think about the Lakers’ life without Kobe Bryant, which is probably two years away.
Bryant has two years left on his Lakers’ contract, and he has said he intends to leave the NBA around that time.
In London for the recent Olympic Games Bryant told reporters it would be logical that he’d end his playing career in Europe.
He grew up in Italy because his father, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant played there. Kobe speaks Italian and a few other languages.
Where will the Lakers be without him after he’s been here 16 years?
It will be easier if Dwight Howard signs again with them rather than leaving as a free agent after this season.
Bryant helped recruit Howard to the Lakers, telling him he’d become the team’s main guy after Kobe retires.
Having a marquee center would ease the Lakers’ problem.
If not, it’ll be a chore for the Lakers to remain an elite team with the loss of one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time.
Some teams in that position start over, acquiring youg players and storing money under the salary cap to sign free agents as they become available.
But it’s hard to do that in a major market such as Los Angeles or New York. Fans pay a lot for their tickets and aren’t patient in a rebuilding process.
So, I’m glad I’m not the general manager with that duty.
But it is time to think about it. This season is important because a winning season might influence Howard to stay. But a chaotic season, with Coach Mike Brown’s offense being questioned again, would probably make Howard bolt, most likely to Dallas.
Two years from now Steve Nash will be 40, Bryant probably will be gone and Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace won’t be getting any younger.
Fans expect teams in the major markets to always be championship contenders. That’s easier in baseball where there’s no salary cap. The Yankees, for instance, have a huge budget and acquire former all-stars such as Eric Chavez and Ichiro Suzucki to add depth.
But in basketball teams are limited in what they can spend on players and all teams, including the Lakers, have had down years.
The Lakers wasted Btyant’s talent last season, losing in the playoffs before the real action began. Oklahoma City and San Antonio emerged as the teams who qualified for the Western Conference finals.
A similar finish this season would send Bryant into his final year with little momentum.
But I’m sure the Staples Center sellout crowds will enjoy watching Kobe and chanting MVP all through the next two seasons.
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