The Los Angeles Lakers finally seem to be turning the corner as they won their second straight game by defeating the Houston Rockets, 98-92. Kobe Bryant continued to post big-time scoring numbers as he finished with 29 points, but needed 28 shots to do it.
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One reason for Kobe’s tough shooting night was former Laker Trevor Ariza, who did an excellent job of guarding Kobe throughout the night. After the game, Kobe spoke about what it’s like to match up with his former teammate on Time Warner Cable SportsNet via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe asked about matching up w/ former teammate Ariza (1/2): "Trevor, its a little different, the guys that I've won championships w/…
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 20, 2014
Kobe (2/2): "…we have such a bond, especially w/ him. He's really like my little brother. It's actually tough to match up w/ him."(on TWC)
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 20, 2014
Ariza was a major part of the Lakers 2009 championship team. He was the team’s designated defender and his shooting really came around in the playoffs as he made a number of plays on the team’s road to the title.
He would leave after the season, but he was always remembered fondly for what he did that season. As a prototypical small forward, many fans today hope that Wesley Johnson can eventually develop into what Ariza has become today.
It’s a little surprising to hear from Kobe that it was tough to match-up with someone, but players develop a special relationship when they win a championship and this is just proof of that bond.
[divide]Lakers Post Game Report: Kobe, ‘Things Go Good, It’s Us. Things Go Bad, It’s Me’