Kobe's New Role

Kobe Bryant, arguably the greatest to ever play the game, is heading into his 20th season this year with the Los Angeles Lakers. His upcoming season with the Lakers will be the longest stint of any player with one franchise in NBA history, but will likely be very different for Bryant and the Lakers. An interview with Lakers head coach Byron Scott and team executives suggest that Bryant will play a much more limited role this year on the team. There have also been reports that Bryant could even be playing as a small forward this year in order to complement some of the young talent the team has acquired. As the 2015-2016 NBA season approaches, in all likelihood, Bryant will be much more of a mentor compared to his previous role as the focal point of the team's offense.

In the last several seasons, Bryant has received a slew of injuries to seemingly every part of his body. As Bryant has aged, his game has had to evolve to accommodate the constraints of his body. When Bryant first came into the league, he was known for aggressively attacking the rim, yet in recent years, we have known Bryant to be much more of a fundamental jump shooter. As his athletic ability diminished, he worked tirelessly on his footwork and shooting ability to become one of the best shooters in NBA history. As Bryant enters what could be his final season in the NBA, we will see how his game evolves once again as he transitions out of the offensive spotlight for the Lakers.

Scott has already made statements this offseason saying he will limit Bryant’s minutes this year in order to preserve the player's body, which will hopefully allow him to play all 82 games of the regular season. With this shift, we will likely see Bryant’s numbers drop as he takes a back seat to some of the other young stars on the team, such as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell.

As members of the ultra competitive Western Conference, it seems unlikely that Bryant and the Lakers will make the playoffs this year, but it would benefit the Lakers franchise to have Bryant as a facilitator for the Lakers' offensive and as a mentor to the younger players. D’Angelo Russell in particular seems eager to learn from the 20-year veteran and has requested that his locker be next to Bryant’s. Although it appears that the final leg of Bryant’s illustrious career will involve him taking a back seat role, given Bryant's competitive nature and desire to remain in the spotlight, it would not be surprising to see the NBA legend give us one final show.