NBA Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant Does Not Care About Los Angeles Lakers

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By @Terri7589

Bart Young/Getty Images

Bart Young/Getty Images

On Friday, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant did not play for the fifth game of the season. The official reasoning behind his sitting out was “rest.” Bryant has no reported serious injuries so his sitting out is not a real concern for the Lakers. Because Bryant is known as the savior for the Lakers, no one is questioning the fact that lately he seems to be resting more than playing.

“A lot of [it] depends on how I feel that he feels and the one thing that he has been with me is totally honest,” head coach Byron Scott told ESPN Los Angeles on Friday before the win against the Orlando Magic. “And that’s all I can ask for, and if I don’t think that he feels 110 percent then I’m going to sit him down.”

That quote is about the same player who continued to play and sink his free throws after rupturing his Achilles in April of 2013. Bryant has proven that he does not stop even if he is in excruciating pain, therefore him not feeling like he is “110 percent” is not what is stopping Bryant from taking the floor for five games this season.

The Lakers have won two games this season without the assistance of Bryant. The team, without Bryant on the floor, is playing as a team because they are finally able to do so. Bryant commands the floor and demands the ball. He takes most of the shots regardless of whether or not they fall, he shouts out plays he thinks the team should be executing and he publicly berates his teammates during games and practices.

Bryant’s ego may have been deflated slightly when the Lakers proved they could win without him and the sports world was buzzing about whether or not Bryant was necessary anymore. Bryant is not one to quit while he is down, but not playing, not traveling with the team, not showing up to games even if he isn’t playing and just generally not being a part of the team shows his disinterest in the entire Lakers organization.

The Lakers have put all of their faith and trust in Bryant. He has been the unofficial decision maker for the team for years. He has aided in player movement and staffing changes. He has assisted in getting a head coach fired after a video went viral of Bryant staring at Mike Brown in complete disgust during a game. The longer Bryant continues to play, the more his antics become decision makers for the organization – regardless of whether or not those decisions help the organization as a whole.

Bryant will forever be one of the greatest players to ever suit up in an NBA uniform. He has created a legacy, added to an already impressive history and provided the incoming crop of NBA stars a player to aspire to be. With all of Bryant’s impressive records, statistics and years in the league, he has yet to develop the basic skills of how to be a good teammate.

Terri Washington is a Los Angeles Clippers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @Terri7589, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.

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