This is the time of the basketball year that Kobe Bryant news become rampant. Him taking over a game, his team entering the next.
However, it is completely otherwise. Bryant and Lakers are totally irrelevant in the post-season. The Black Mamba and his Los Angeles Lakers used to be constant figures in the NBA Playoffs.
However, that is a thing of the past now. The Purple and Gold have been among the weakest teams in the past two seasons. Many points to Kobe Bryant's untouchable salary as the reason why the team can't sign All-Star caliber players. With them now gearing up to rebuild, does that mean they will drop the Black Mamba?
"The makeup of the team right now is just not clear enough for us to drop Kobe in and say, 'This is what we expect. Can you do it?'" Los Angeles Lakers manager Mike Kupchak told LA Daily News when asked about the future of Kobe Bryant with the team. "We have to wait until the first couple weeks of July."
Before that, Kupchak said he does not expect his superstar to play beyond his remaining contract. Kobe Bryant still has one year left with the team and is expected to earn $25 million.
"I have assumed that he has one year to go and is 36 now. That's all I can plan on," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. "That's all he's planning on. A year from now, maybe different. But right now, that's all we're planning on."
Right now, Kobe Bryant still has no plans of retiring after 2016. In fact, he is already conditioning himself for the game after lengthy rest due to injuries. Lakers coach Byron Scott said Kobe Bryant is now lifting weights and currently "looking good." However, it worries him that the Black Mamba might overdo himself.
"In his mind, he's going to go at this thing real hard this summer to get ready for training camp. I didn't want him to overdo it," Scott said. "I know how he is when he gets his mind set that he wants to be ready for training camp that he's going to go all out."
