World Peace, 35, has played with six teams (Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Lakers and Knicks), averaging 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals during his 15-year career. Two seasons ago, Bryant tore his Achilles, and this past season he tore his rotator cuff and required surgery.
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The Lakers, however, won’t cut the cord.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had one of the most successful pairings in the NBA, winning three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the Los Angeles Lakers and making a fourth appearance in the 2004 NBA Finals. “I am not going to sit there and say, ‘This is it, Kobe, you are done, ‘ because it is not my decision, it is his decision”, Buss said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
With that being said, you just know that if he believes that his 2K rating is below what it should be, Bryant will use it as extra bulletin board material to go out and prove everyone wrong this upcoming season.
[Kobe wants to “ride off into the sunset” with Team USA at the Rio Olympics].
“[Kobe] has done so much for the Lakers…he deserves the money”. The tandem obviously did some special things in Los Angeles, but the internal rivalry – Bryant likened it to a hypothetical scenario in which Michael Jordan emerged on a team already spearheaded by Wilt Chamberlain – proved problematic.
Said Bryant: “Here’s the thing, though”.
The same goes for Kobe Bryant, both this season and – hopefully – the one after that.
Co-owners and business and basketball chief operators Jeannie and Jim Buss haven’t been as direct. In fact, if anything, Jim Buss was as direct as he could be in a recent interview in pointing out that Bryant’s 2016 retirement isn’t a fait accompli. Scott faced a lot of criticism last season for playing Bryant over 34 minutes per game last season, so they are obviously going to be a lot more cautious moving forward.
“How long is that going to last before Michael says, “You know what, it’s time for me to show what I can do”?”
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From the looks of it, Bryant and Howard are still on bad terms.
