Paul Pierce jokes that Kobe Bryant can't accept reduced role with Lakers
Paul Pierce jokingly questions Kobe Bryant's attitude towards getting older.
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1 min read
At 37 years old, Kobe Bryant's competitiveness has shown no signs of slowing down. However while his mind is telling him one thing, Bryant's body seems to be telling him the exact opposite. With his last three seasons ending in injury, Lakers head coach Byron Scott is considering limiting Bryant's minutes next season however, GM Mitch Kupchak has said that “there hasn't been any formal discussions” about it yet. One thing is clear though, Bryant's career is slowly winding down, a fact that his NBA colleague Paul Pierce doesn't think the Lakers star has grasped yet.
Appearing on the Fred Roggin Show on the Beast 980 in Los Angeles, Pierce joked that that Bryant has not been willing to accept a reduced role, something that he himself is willing to do with the Clippers.
"That will be tough on some guys in L.A. to take on that (reduced) role *cough* Kobe *cough* I mean, you know, we get older." —Paul Pierce
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) September 25, 2015
Pierce is well aware that his career is coming to an end so he has been willing to accept a smaller role in his brief stint in Washington and now with the Clippers. He knows that Wesley Johnson may start over him and Pierce has already said that if the Clippers win the championship this season, he will retire. But while Pierce's fake coughing is a clear indication that he was joking, he does have a point about Bryant.
Some people like Phil Jackson, believe that Bryant will continue to play after this season. That is certainly possible but with his recent spate of season-ending injuries, Bryant can't push himself past his limit again. The success of the Lakers largely depends on their young core of Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, so if Bryant wants to "shock da world" by making the playoffs this season, he may need to follow Pierce's lead and accept a reduced role.
H/T: PBT
