Here’s What Kobe Bryant Thinks About The Progress Of Brandon Ingram And D’Angelo Russell

Just because Kobe Bryant is retired doesn’t mean that Lakers fans aren’t still preoccupied with him. Half of them are more “Kobe” fans than “Lakers” fans anyway. One imagines he’ll frequently be asked for his feelings on the current Lakers, and that’s certainly the case in a recent interview with Bryant.

Kobe discussed transitioning to retirement and he and his wife expecting their third child, but mostly the conversation was about the new look Lakers. Asked about the Lakers’ future, Kobe said:

“They have a really young core and a really good core. Now it’s just a matter of them growing together and having those pieces mesh. I think it’s a great opportunity. Now at this age where their games are still developing, they can develop their games and their strengths around each other. They have a lot of potential. Hopefully they can put it together sooner rather than later.”

Bryant also went into detail on a couple of key young Lakers, Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell. On Ingram, the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he said:

“I think he plays with great tempo, great pace. I like his length. His ball-handling ability is very good, he can get to spots on the floor. I think defensively he has the potential to be fantastic — he has long arms, long legs. So, hopefully he starts really paying attention to that just as much as the things he can do offensively.”

As for Russell:

“There are certain things he’s really picked up: body positioning, using his size to get to places, recognizing defensive packages and where to position guys on the floor. He’s developed very nicely over the summer.”

Kobe sounds pretty optimistic about the Lakers’ future. If he were still playing, Bryant would likely be jumping down their throats and dominating the focus of the team even though his best days were long behind him. For Ingram and Russell, it’s better that Kobe is now being asked for his opinions on the Lakers as a retired legend – and not an active player.

(Via TWC Sportsnet)

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