The Los Angeles Lakers' franchise faces a compelling question and it's one that they may not fully grasp just yet. Are Kobe Bryant's days as a Laker numbered? Father Time waits for no one.
The 17-time all star won five NBA Championships and led the Lakers to seven NBA Finals appearances in his 20 year career. However, he might be on his last leg. Like all odds against the Black Mamba, he continues to surpass them every time. The future Hall-of-Famer produced a total of 32,649 points, which is third all-time in the NBA. Records do not always fit the bill, however, and in times like these they may not be adequate.
The current value that Bryant has helped bring to the Lakers is insurmountable. We are talking about a historic franchise that preaches "win championships and nothing else will suffice." It is so foreign to see the Lakers at the bottom of the pack in the NBA. Lately their standing does not accurately equate to the $2.6 billion that they are worth, which places them as the sixth most valuable team in sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has the biggest TV contract in the NBA, making nearly $4 billion from a slated 20-year deal created in 2011 with Time Warner. This becomes roughly $200 million dollars per year.
When you look at their active roster it does not add up. A truly young team is a force to be reckoned with--having Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson as its nucleus and a support of veteran backups including Roy Hibbert and Lou Williams.
The worst season in Lakers history was last year (2014-15) as they finished 21-61. This year the Lakers are on pace to challenge this with their 2-12 record.
In the Lakers' last shellacking against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday they lost 111-77. It marked the first time in all of their 5,301 games apart of the NBA, starting from 1948, in which any player scored more than 10 points.
Bryant should not be to blame for this debacle. He had a 1-14 performance from the field, but if he produced more than a four point output it still wouldn't have changed the result.
These shot percentages will not eradicate his shooter's mentality. It is a team game and the personnel for the system aren't corresponding with one another. With the way that the West conference is a decision will need to be determined next year. Will the Lakers continue breaking the bank to retain Bryant, or will they begin the Laker life after the Kobe Bryant era?
