The Los Angeles Lakers are likely headed towards another atrocious season, and the only person keeping them relevant to watch is their future Hall of Famer—Kobe Bryant. At his age of 36, he’s been playing above expectations by leading the league in scoring with 25.2 points per game, but is shooting just under 40 percent from the field.
Still we wonder, how long can he keep this up and more importantly, how long does he really plan to keep playing.
Last season, he signed a two-year contract which will take him up to the 2015-16 season, making it his 20th year in the league. Bryant hasn’t really fully committed on playing beyond this contract and Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak tells David Aldridge of NBA.com that he’s not expecting the Mamba to play beyond the 2016 season…
“All indications are, to me, from him, that this (two-year contract) is going to be it,” Kupchak said. “If somebody’s thinking of buying a ticket three years from now to see Kobe play, I would not do that. Don’t wait. Do it this year.”
Honestly, I’d love to see Bryant play beyond his current contract, but unfortunately it’s very hard to imagine it happening. Coming off two major injuries will certainly take its toll on him, particularly his legs. The best thing for the Lakers now would be to look towards the future—the draft lottery, and then hopefully form a better team around Bryant next season that could at least contend for a playoff spot or a team that can play defense on a nightly basis.
Benjamin Felix Santos is currently a senior college student from Manila, PH. An aspiring NBA writer who bleeds the purple and gold. His love and passion for the game will never die.
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