Kobe Bryant spoke with The Undefeated to promote his new book. Of course, within the scope of their conversation, Kobe Bryant took a moment to reflect on the current state of the Lakers' roster led by the incumbent LeBron James, whom he referred to without hesitation as his favorite current favorite player.
Kobe Bryant, a continuous student of the game, offered his theory on how the Lakers can trump the Golden State Warriors in the next four years. "Rob has smartly built a team of physical players. Big, versatile, fast, physical players," he said. "He understands that if you want to challenge Golden State, you can’t challenge them with shooting. That’s what they do."
Would you expect anything different than glowing optimism about the Lakers' chances from the one-team loyalist? When asked if he saw the 2018-2019 Lakers' team as a viable playoff team in the Western Conference, he responded in unabated laughter. "C'mon" he said.
The Los Angeles Lakers' who have missed the playoffs for the last five seasons, some of which with Kobe Bryant at the helm, are still a work in progress, even with LeBron James in the fold. They stood neck and neck with the Portland Trail Blazers until the very last quarter, when their grizzled opponents pulled away for good. As the season progresses, LeBron James will surely lead by example, in showing his younger counterparts to close out quarters emphatically (and purposefully).