Kobe Bryant isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and that includes self-criticism.
The Los Angles Lakers legend gave an honest assessment of his performance to reporters Sunday night after L.A. lost 103-93 to the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center.
Bryant was awful in the loss, there’s no doubt about it. He scored 15 points on 3 for 15 shooting, including a horrendous 2 for 8 mark from beyond the arc. He also tallied just one assist and committed five fouls.
However, saying he’s the 200th best player in the league is an exaggeration. There are plenty of guys on the Lakers that are still worse than him.
That said, Bryant is off to one of the worst starts to a season in his 20-year career. He’s shooting 31.4 percent from the field and 20.7 percent from 3-point land. Despite his struggles from beyond the arc, he’s still shooting 12.7 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. That’s way too much, but who’s going to tell him not to shoot?
Bryant has not publicly confirmed if he will retire after the season or return for 2016-17. His current contract expires at the end of the campaign and he’ll be 37 at that time.
If Bryant keeps performing at this level throughout the season, it would be a mistake for him to come back. He’s one of the top 15 players in NBA history, and there’s no reason to tarnish that legacy, even a little bit, by playing longer than he should.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
