It’s the beginning of a new era, as the Lakers look to begin a season without Kobe Bryant for the first time in 20 years. Bryant, who ended his distinguished NBA career in April with a 60-point scoring explosion and a win against the Utah Jazz, had announced his plans for retirement at the beginning of the 2015-2016 NBA season, forcing the rest of us to imagine what a post-Kobe world would look like.
The sadness we’ve experienced as one of the greats left the game only speaks to the impact he had on it. His career can be described as nothing short of inspirational, as his presence in the league became something so familiar and comfortable, I would go as far as to say that basketball will never be the same again. The only NBA player to spend 20 consecutive seasons on one team, Bryant has helped the Lakers win five championships, was named the league’s MVP in 2008, currently third on the all-time scoring list, won two Olympic gold medals, and was selected for the NBA all-star 18 times. Not to mention his post-retirement awards, Bryant intends on staying fully relevant in the upcoming years, which is good for those of us who aren’t quite ready to let him go. So what has The Black Mamba been up to lately?
In addition to forming his own company called Kobe Inc., going on the road for the Mamba Mentality Tour, taking part in the NBA 2K16 Road to the Finals event, and appearing in movie trailers, Bryant has expressed his optimism for the future of the Lakers:
“The Lakers are one of those really rare franchises that, even though they may go through down periods, they inevitably find themselves back in contention…Luke (Walton) and (assistant coach) Brian Shaw and the staff and the young players that they have, have a tremendous amount of potential and I think they will get there.”
Although his hard work, dedication to being the greatest, and force of nature element will be irreplaceable to the Lakers, the team can now focus on rebuilding around their young players and perhaps once again bring back the magic that the team has been missing for quite some time. I hope they will use Bryant's time on the court as an example as to how to persevere during hard times and never let anything get in between them and their love for the game.
