Thursday’s practice was an intense one for the Los Angeles Lakers with a lot of trash talking. Kobe Bryant scrimmaged with the team for the first time in a couple of weeks and he was not happy with the effort the team put forth and let them know about it.
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Afterwards, Kobe spoke about his leadership and how he prefers to challenge his teammates according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Kobe: “I just challenge guys, see what happens. I’ve always believed in throwing them in the pool and then seeing if they can sink or swim.”
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 11, 2014
While Kobe was seen jawing back and forth with Nick Young, he also was hard on a couple of other teammates, leading Young to pull them aside after practice according to ESPN’s Arash Markazi:
Nick Young pulled Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson to the side after practice and told them to stand up for themselves after Kobe got on them.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 11, 2014
Kobe has never been shy about his leadership style. He rides his teammates and puts a lot of pressure on them to see who will shine through and who will wilt when things get tough. Someone like Nick Young, who lacks no confidence, has no issues going right back at Kobe. Young players, especially like Clarkson, might struggle with the harsh words.
Young showing some leadership is also an important side note. As one of the only players with a contract past 2016, Young will be one of the true veterans on this team once Kobe retires. It is promising to see him take some young players under his wing and give them some encouragement.
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