Leave it to Kobe Bryant to take his season-long farewell tour, which has been one nostalgic moment after another, and throw some realism into it. In a few months, the NBA will be Kobe-less and nowhere near as entertaining. Not only is Kobe one of the all-time greats, but his honesty is refreshing in an age of stock answers.
So when asked by a reporter what he hates most from the farewell tour, Bryant said the first thing that was on his mind. “That we suck,” he said to laughter. “That’s tough. That’s tough.”
Then, Bryant gave a little more PR-friendly answer. “All joking aside, being able to say ‘Thank you’ to the fans. It’s hard for me to express how much the fans meant to me. The best I can do is go out and play even though physically I feel like crap.”
But to go back to Bryant’s first, and more honest, take: He’s right, and that fact really has been lost a bit on this whole season. The Lakers are dead last in the Western Conference and only a few games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (of all teams, since Kobe is a Philly guy by birth) for worst record in the league. Bryant, as he alluded to, has been hurt and feels equally bad. Sure, the farewell tour has had its moments. The special goodbye with LeBron James — one of many of its kind — and the parquet-floor gift from the Boston Celtics are some of the things that have made Kobe’s final go special.
But when looked at objectively, Bryant is an older, banged up player on a bad team. That won’t ruin his legacy, but Bryant will be the first to tell you.
(Via ESPN.com)
