After making his way back from an Achilles rupture, Kobe Bryant was unfortunately only able to play in six games before suffering a knee fracture. While Bryant is currently dealing with setbacks from this latest injury, all the talk still centers around how he will return either late this season or possibly next season.
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Lakers fans have been predicting Kobe’s eventual comeback will be a successful one, but Laker legend Jerry West has a couple questions, but ultimately believes the five-time champion will be effective in a recent interview with ESPN Radio:
You never know what Kobe Bryant’s status is going to be next year,” West said. “What kind of player is he going to be? That would be my biggest question because they’ve banked that he’s gonna be the same kind of player. I don’t see that. I do see him being great. He’s so good individually and he’s so competitive that he’s always going to be effective.
Jerry West has been very vocal recently about the current state of the NBA. While everyone is waiting to see how he returns from this latest injury, Kobe has shown throughout his entire career the ability to adjust his game accordingly to the circumstances. Even if Bryant isn’t able to jump as high or run as fast, he has shown numerous times that he remains one of the best players in the league even when dealing with past injuries.
While Bryant has stated numerous times that he intends to return this season regardless of the team’s record, the five-time champion does turn 36 this upcoming summer. After signing a two-year extension earlier this season, Bryant’s focus should be on getting completely healthy to ensure that he retires at the top of his game.
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