Jeremy Lin has played with NBA superstars in his first four years in the league, but the point guard said in a Los Angeles Lakers news & rumors update that Kobe Bryant is way different from the rest.
Lin, who will be entering his first season in a purple and gold Lakers jersey, said that he was impressed with what he saw from Bryant in their first few practices despite the fact that the superstar guard is coming off two straight major injuries.
Lin said that Bryant's dedication and tremendous focus separate him from others superstars the former Harvard University standout has played with like Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Dwight Howard and James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
"How hard he works and his attention to detail," Lin said of Bryant in a Los Angeles Lakers news & rumors update via LA Daily News. "The stuff that he thinks about or talks about, only someone who is really trying to analyze every single thing about the game would be able to understand something like that."
Bryant, who only played in six games last season after sustaining a knee injury just as when he was starting to get his confidence back following an Achilles tendon surgery, was impressive in their 98-95 win against the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
The 36-year-old superstar, who will be entering his 19th season in the league, scored 13 points and dished out five assists in just 21 minutes of playing time.
Lin, for his part, also did well in his Lakers debut. The shifty playmaker scored just a point, but posted 10 assists, earning praises from coach Byron Scott for the way he orchestrated their offensive sets.
The 26-year-old point guard, who averaged 12.5 points and 4.1 assists, will have to carry more scoring responsibilities in their next games, though, after shooting guard Nick Young was ruled out for the next eight weeks.
Young sustained a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb while guarding Bryant in one of their practice drills, and coach Scott admitted that the injury will be a big blow to his rotation.
"It hurts us, as far as that's a guy that we know that can come off the bench and provide instant offense for us," Scott said in a Los Angeles Lakers news & rumors update via ESPN. "Obviously, we're going to have to look elsewhere for that. It hurts us."
