Sad news: The Los Angeles Lakers have just announced the retirement of two of their best players.
They had been implying as much lately, implying that unless his declining game underwent a miraculous turnabout, his two-decade run would come to an end in April.
After overcoming an Achilles tendon tear, a knee fracture, and shoulder surgery in the previous few seasons, the 37-year-old has performed appallingly in 12 games.
According to the Players’ Tribune, this was the previous year.Not only was his shooting percentage (31.5) the lowest in the league among players who had attempted at least 150 shots (he is 63 of 200 overall), but it was also at a career low. In addition, his three-point percentage (19.5) was the lowest of his career and the league for players who had attempted at least 60 shots. To make matters worse, the Lakers were, up until this point, about as bad as even they could have imagined.
In addition to being a Western Conference-worst 2-13 going into their game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, Bryant’s control over the offense meant that young players like Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, and Jordan Clarkson, who need to grow up fast, could only carry so much weight. In terms of field goals attempted per game (16.7), Bryant leads the Lakers, followed by Clarkson (12.9), Russell (10.2), and Randle (10.1).
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Jim Buss, a part-owner and vice president of basketball operations for the Lakers, stated to USA TODAY Sports just a month ago that he thought his team had “turned the corner” in the rebuilding process. Rather, it appears that this summer, the Lakers will close the Bryant chapter.
