Steve Nash injury is one of the early blows that the Los Angeles Lakers has to deal with. The 2014-15 season is yet to start and the franchise from Hollywood is already plagued with line-up problems. For team's superstar Kobe Bryant, Nash's back injury is tough for the team. Bryant said he salutes his former Phoenix Suns rival and current teammate but said that the point guard just "have to accept it and when you lay your head down you know that you did absolutely everything possible." As for those who thinks Nash has to retire because of his age, the Black Mamba disagrees. He believes that Nash slowing down in his game has nothing to do with him reaching father time.
"I just asked him if he was in good spirits and he said, 'Yeah.' It kind of is what it is at this point. ... He struggled with his back even when he was in his prime. I really don't think it's an age thing, it's an injury thing. He's had to deal with it his entire career, and it just caught up with him now," Bryant said according to ESPN's Arash Markazi.
Lakers general manager Mike Kupchak second Bryant's opinion.
"I think all he knows is that he can't continue to play. Whenever he feels like he can, he tries to and then he g"ets set back three or four weeks. There's age, there's life after basketball. The only reason he's playing this year is because he loves to play, so there's a lot racing through his head. The bottom line is he can't put it together."
With Nash now out for the whole season, and Kobe Bryant owning a large chunk of their salary cap, the Los Angeles Lakers no longer has the chance to sign marquee players that can help them in their campaign. However, the management is not giving up. In fact, Kupchak has already reached out to the league, hoping to be granted a disabled player exception for Nash's contract.
"This just came about, and he remains on our roster," Kupchak said. "We made a couple of preliminary phone calls, looking into the mechanics of the disabled player exception, so we'll look into that further next week and probably get that process going."
With Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash out for most of the time last year because of injuries, the Lakers failed to reach the playoffs and their recorded their worst finish in decades.
Looks they have the same dilemma this season.
