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Kobe Bryant on Michael Jordan comparisons: ‘My 37 isn’t MJ’s 37’

Kobe Bryant, healthy or not, is a great leader and will lead the franchise to their next journey. And through two weeks of training camp and two preseason games, there have been some flashes of that, mixed with a few things that will still give pause. No longer will they have the worst record or be blown out by other competitors.

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In this age, where mid-range players have come to die, Bryant is persistent in his way, which directly trickles down through the roster in a manner that makes it hard to survive in this adapt-or-die evolution. According to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak Russell will get playing time from the outset this season but he just isn’t sure where those minutes will come from.

Luckily for the Clippers, if Bryant does wind up a scenario where he chooses to continue his career and the Lakers choose to go on without the star, focusing on their ongoing rebuilding around the likes of Deangelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle, he’d be far outside of whatever price range is available to Doc Rivers in 2016, aka a blessing in disguise as it stops Doc from possibly doing the inevitable.

Under normal circumstances, most teams would enjoy the foundation of having three young studs to build around, but somehow the presence of Bryant doesn’t put the cherry on top as much as it removes it, mostly out of concern for Bryant’s demand in being the featured player.

In a similar report, Yahoo Sports said Bryant is now set to play his 20th season in the National Basketball Association, which it claimed is already a remarkable feat for an athlete.

As the losses continued to accumulate at a violent rate, the fanbase had no choice but to focus on individual positives in order to maintain their sanity. The Los Angeles Lakers veteran went on to share, “We chose to play the first 12, and look to increase it gradually with every game”. Nobody cares about how much points you drop in the preseason games.

One year late, Randle has given the Lakers everything they expected when they drafted him seventh overall out of Kentucky in 2014, only to see him suffer a season-ending broken leg in his debut. “But it’s important they find their own way”.

The most high-profile absence, however, involved Lakers rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was not happy after Wednesday’s practice and after watching the Lakers jump out for 27 points in the first quarter Thursday, was of a similar mind. He’s coming off injuries and surgeries to his ankle and Achilles the past two seasons that limited his play and production inside the court. Roy HIbbert, who the Lakers got in a trade this offseason, was the starting center.

Lyles, Neto and Pleiss are all better basketball players than hula dancers. The only one who does know, Kobe, hasn’t said for sure. Without a doubt, Burks is going to make Jazz better this year-regardless of his role (starter vs. bench). Lakers Coach Byron Scott compared his quickness to Russell Westbrook and nobody laughed.

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Metta World Peace has rejoined the Lakers for a second stint after spending the a year ago playing professionally in China and Italy.

Trevor Booker