Report: Kobe Out Vs. Bulls Because of “Old Age”

After beating the Warriors 115-105 on Tuesday, the Lakers are again without Kobe Bryant today when they take on the Bulls in Chicago. Bryant cited “old age,” and “soreness” for the late scratch on the TNT Christmas Day matchup.

Per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com, comes the news Kobe is sitting down tonight:

The 36-year-old Bryant will sit out to rest for the second straight game, Lakers coach Byron Scott announced before the game.

“It’s extremely difficult, especially playing here, playing on Christmas Day and playing in this city. I love playing here,” Bryant said. “The fans have always been great. There’s always a lot of energy in the building. At the same time, I’ve just got to try to be smart. It’s really going against my nature, but I’ve got to be smart about this.”

When asked if there was any particular injury hampering him, Bryant cited age and soreness.

“Old age. My knees are sore at this stage of the season,” he said. “My Achilles are sore — both of them. My metatarsals are tight, back is tight. I just need to kind of hit the re-set button

Kobe also said his chances of playing on Friday in Dallas are “slim right now.”

The Lakers looked good when they played the Warriors at Staples Center in their Tuesday win. The fact their biggest win of the season, against the team with the best record in the NBA, came without their ostensible star may not be a coincidence. Bryant has struggled recently, and he’s been pressing on offense. The team has a whole has played better when he sits:

We’ll see whether that trend continues when they play in Chicago tonight when they’re again missing their superstar on Christmas Day.

(ESPN)

Are the Lakers better when Kobe sits?

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