Kobe Bryant Leading Laker Revival
Bryant Has Shaken off Trade Rumours and is Delivering in Los Angeles
Bryant has been sending mixed messages about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers ever since last off-season. One day the media is reporting that Bryant wants to play anywhere but L.A., and the next day they are saying Bryant wants to retire as a Laker. At the center of the speculation lies the belief that Bryant does not trust that the Laker organization is building a team capable of contending. Whatever the reason, Bryant has been playing all-star caliber basketball and he has his team near the top in the powerful Western Conference.
Gone are the days when Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, led by coach Phil Jackson, were dominating the league as the most-feared duo and winning three consecutive NBA championships (2000, 2001, and 2002). In the summer of 2004, O'Neal was traded from the Lakers to the Miami Heat in exchange for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a first-round draft pick (used to select Jordan Farmar in 2006). While nothing is certain, the rumoured feuding between Kobe and Shaq likely contributed to the trade. Both players' displeasure with each other started the rumours that each of them was looking to play elsewhere. The Lakers had to make a decision quickly and they ultimately decided that they wanted to re-sign Bryant, prompting the trade that many experts said heavily favoured the Heat. While Shaq and the Heat worked their way towards a championship win in 2006, Kobe and the Lakers struggled to make and play in the playoffs after the trade.
In the 2004-05 season following the summer trade the Lakers, under the coaching of Rudy Tomjanovich, struggled to win, finishing the season with 34 wins and 48 losses and missing the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. The chemistry that was hoped for between Bryant and Odom was non-existent, while Butler had not quite achieved his current all-star status. Grant simply fizzled into obscurity. The trade impact was all too apparent and the Lakers were truly in a state of rebuilding with Bryant as their cornerstone. Phil Jackson, who had also reportedly clashed with Bryant, was re-hired in the off-season in an attempt to revive the magic he brought to the Lakers during their championship years. Of the players involved in the O'Neal trade, only Odom would remain with the Lakers, while Butler and Grant moved on to the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns, respectively, after just one season in Los Angeles.
The 2005-06 season would mark a small resurgence for the Lakers, and Bryant, while possibly taking on too much responsibility, would have the best statistical year of his 11-year career. Bryant would end up attempting 249 more field goals than any other season (2,173 total) and finish with a career- and league-high 35.4 points-per-game average while playing over 40 minutes per game. He would also have several spectacular games, including a 62-point outing against the Dallas Mavericks and an 81-point performance versus the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers improved by 11 wins over the previous season and entered the playoffs as the seventh-seed. They jumped out to a 3 games to 1 lead over the Suns in the first round but collapsed and fell to them in seven games. While Bryant was having an unbelievable year it appeared as if he was putting too much pressure on himself and not allowing his teammates to help. Or, perhaps he didn't trust his teammates enough to include them. Whatever the reason, Kobe scored almost 21 ppg more than Odom, the team's second-leading scorer, and attempted 1,248 more shots than Odom, also second in that category.
The next season was much of the same for Bryant. He continued to build on his legacy with a league-leading 31.6 ppg average -- the second-highest of his career -- and a streak of four straight 50-plus point games (he finished the season with 10 total 50-plus point games). He made his ninth All-Star Game appearance and took home the All-Star Game MVP trophy after scoring 31 points. Bryant was again able to carry the Lakers into the playoffs but, for the second consecutive season, they were ousted by the Suns in the first round after winning only one game.
Bryant's recent frustrations with the Lakers carried over into the off-season, where he was reported by many media outlets as saying he demanded a trade from the Lakers. Many reported that Bryant was unhappy with the job that Laker management was -- or wasn't -- doing in building another dynasty around him. The reaction to this rumour was another rumour that named Indiana Pacer Jermaine O'Neal as a potential target for the Lakers as Bryant's new wingman. That rumour seemed to disappear as quickly as it appeared. Then, the trade talks began to circle around a deal that would involve Bryant heading to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for a number of players, including Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas. Obviously, the trade never happened but the idea of it is still appearing in major sports articles and keeping NBA pundits occupied.
Nevertheless, despite the possible displeasure Bryant has playing for the L.A. Lakers he has not succumb to the Vince Carter method of openly displaying his displeasure by playing badly. Actually, quite the opposite. Bryant is having another stellar year, averaging over 27 ppg, and he recently became the youngest player to score 20,000 points in his career when he accomplished it at 29 years, 122 days. He has his team playing solid basketball with a record of 19 wins and 10 losses, has a good supporting cast, and is helping develop third-year player Andrew Bynum into a bonafide NBA center. By contrast, the Miami Heat are having a dismal year with only 8 wins and 21 losses, and Shaq appears to be on the downslide of his career as his ppg averages have decreased steadily since arriving in Miami.
Whatever Bryant's intentions are he has shown commendable class and his will to win has seemingly superseded any will to be traded. One has to wonder why, with the way the Lakers are playing, anyone would want to be traded to the Bulls, current owners of last place in the Central Division. Bryant will have to do some serious thinking.
