Heading into the 2015-16 NBA season, one of the biggest storylines will naturally be Kobe Bryant. After three consecutive season-ending injuries, there are questions if the five-time champion will be able to remain healthy in what may be his final season.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
With Bryant recovering from a torn rotator cuff that he suffered against the New Orleans Pelicans last season, head coach Byron Scott talked about his superstar’s progress after the fourth day of Summer League practice:
Byron says Kobe is doing "a lot of lower-body work" but nothing with his upper body.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 9, 2015
Since Bryant has been unable to shoot yet, it has given him the opportunity to strengthen his lower body after the Achilles and knee injuries. With the addition of D’Angelo Russell to go along with Jordan Clarkson, Scott also shared he will ‘probably’ shift to small forward next season.
For Bryant and the Lakers, the number one goal is to manage his minutes in hopes that he can remain relatively healthy. While the five-time champion is undecided on retiring at the end of this season, it will mark Bryant’s 20th season with the Lakers, which is an extremely rare accomplishments in sports.
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