The Kobe Bryant Retirement Tour
- Dec 2, 2015
- 3 min read
Now that Kobe Bryant has announced his retirement, teams are lining up to bid farewell to the 5 time NBA Champion. The tour officially started back in Hollywood where Kobe handed out personalised letters to all the fans who attended the game against the Pacers. Despite the feel-good atmosphere in the arena, the Pacers, sporting the throwback "Hickory" jerseys, would go on to win 107-103.
The emotional rollercoaster of an NBA season that remains will see Kobe finish his career in the Staples Centre against the Utah Jazz, assuming he hasn't succumbed to some form of injury, which has unfortunately plagued his past two seasons.
The first stop away from Los Angeles was Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown; where he grew up and won a title in 1996 while playing for Lower Merion High School. He was famously drafted by the Charlotte Hornets before traded to the Lakers for Kings legend and current VP of Basketball Operations, Vlade Divac. Naturally, it would be a decision that the Hornets would regret as Kobe amassed 32,000+ career points and will go down as one of the best players of all time.
Now that the pressure is off Kobe's shoulders, is the season going to get any better for the 37 year old? Before the season began I predicted he would average 18 points per game while shooting a horrible percentage, and so far I am fairly close to be correct; 16 points per game while shooting 30% from the floor. But that's not how Kobe Bryant is going to be remembered. While Skip Bayless puts Kobe in tenth position in his all-time greatest players, there is next to no doubt that Kobe has been the best player in the NBA post Michael Jordan era.
The season ahead will undoubtedly be full of emotion for Kobe as he says farewell to the memorable arenas and adoring fans for the last time, but the Lakers performances will need to drastically improve before the team transforms into a travelling sideshow to the Kobe Bryant Farewell Tour. Currently sitting at 2-15. their latest loss came at the previously winless 76ers, a rather bittersweet moment for Bryant. That win saved the Sixers from losing their 29th straight game, a record that encompasses all North American sporting codes. If the Lakers can't beat the hapless Sixers, then the season should be considered a wash and give all playing time to the younger, more promising players (if that hasn't happened already). While Byron Scott is adamant that benching Kobe is "not an option", not playing first round draft pick D'Angelo Russell in the final quarter of a blowout certainly is an "option". One that Scott should be utilising.
The future looks bleak for the Lakers with no upcoming draft picks, most being shipped out in the trade for Steve Nash back in 2013. So now it's up to the "allure" of Tinseltown to sign free agents, plus the willingness of Lakers management to sign-and-trade players to improve the team. But as we found out, the bright lights of big cities no longer attract the biggest free agents, the best example would have to be Greg Monroe snubbing the New York Knicks for the attractive destination of Milwaukee.
Despite this season being written off as Kobe's final goodbye, the players on the Lakers will need to do their best if they're to impress possible suitors for next season, especially with the spike in cap space from the new TV deal. It can only benefit everyone; the Lakers can get the most return on players and they in turn won't have to play for the Lakers who will still be a far cry from a successful team in the 2016/17 season. But for now, all we can do is celebrate the career that was for Kobe Bryant and ask questions later.
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