Yogurt-coated moths!
Tree monkey-shaped lightbulbs!
Onion-scented udder cream!
See, I can say totally outrageous things too. Just like Kobe Bryant.
Relax, I jest. Kobe told Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski that the concept of his impatience is a myth, and I agree with him. Kind of.
First, here’s what he told Woj:
“The idea of me having no patience is misunderstood,” Bryant told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday night. “I don’t have patience when we’re not putting the work in, if I see that we’re not doing our job as professionals. If that’s happening, I’ll let my team know about it. But this is not that kind of group. We work. These guys want to get better every day. They’re there early working, they’re there late working.
“This organization put forth a lot of effort to try and land some of these top free agents. They went for it. I respect that. I appreciate that.
“Now it’s time for me to go out there and do my job – not whine or complain about it.”
Bryant has hardly been a harbinger of patience and stoicism during his NBA career. There have been trade demands. Egos have clashed. He basically called out Lakers management last season once Phil Jackson’s job with the Knicks became official. And when he was asked about tanking, about rebuilding, about enduring losses in volume as the Lakers transitioned into the post-Mamba error, he scoffed. He unloaded. Sometimes he sidestepped. Other times he challenged ownership to avoid the traditional rebuilding process.
Brash as he often was, who could blame him? The Lakers signed him to a two-year extension knowing who he was and what he was after. He’s not in Los Angeles to mentor or endure. He’s there to chase history and contend for championships.
At the same time, he’s not deluded. There’s no way Kobe could have thought that one or two of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kevin Love and Kevin Durant, among others, would ultimately wind up on the Lakers. He knows better. Especially last summer.
Bryant hadn’t even played a game yet. His six-game campaign would have hung over the Lakers’ sales pitches like an ineludible cloud. Prospective teammates couldn’t know how he would fare this season, at age 36, following two career-threatening injuries, nearly two decades into his NBA tenure. Next summer’s crop of free agents will know. They will have witnessed, assuming health, a rejuvenated Bryant who, while inefficient, can still shake and bake and score with the best. That should act as a boon for the Lakers’ sales pitches, both in 2015 and 2016, should Kobe decide to continue playing.
And, with regard to this past summer, it’s like Kobe said: All he could expect was for the Lakers to try. Effort implies commitment, which suggests loyalty. And Kobe is nothing if not loyal at this stage of his career, where he’s wiser, humbled and, frankly, more down to the Earth.
Years ago, this may not have been true. This is the same player who was linked to trade rumors anytime things went bad during his prime. But right now, Kobe is more patient than he’s ever been. Simply enduring without disdain for the Lakers’ direction is proof—the only form we really need.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
