NBA News and Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant Fails D'Angelo Russell; Jordan Clarkson, Roy Hibbert Attempt Wins

By Mitch de Leon
Kobe Bryant Returns to Lakers Sunday
Kobe Bryant Returns to Lakers Sunday

The Los Angeles Lakers had been earlier pegged as one of the most notable NBA teams this regular season. With the addition of promising rookie D'Angelo Russell as well as the improving performance of second-year NBA star Jordan Clarkson, the Los Angeles Lakers were deemed as formidable contenders this basketball season.

Meanwhile, the return of Roy Hibbert to the Kobe Bryant roster further bolstered the confidence of the Los Angeles Lakers regarding finally resurrecting the dying reputation of the NBA team. However, it looks like the performance of the Los Angeles Lakers failed to exhibit signs of fulfilling such promise - a disappointing turn of events partly due to the less than notable performance of Kobe Bryant himself.

"I'm the 200th-best player in the league right now," shared Kobe Bryant, referring to the ESPN ranking that placed the Black Mamba at No. 93 during the NBA preseason player rankings. The Los Angeles Lakers star further lamented, "I freaking suck. The guys are giving me the ball and making great passes. It's their job to facilitate and my job to finish. I gotta do the responsible thing and make them for them."

The Black Mamba added, "You know it's fun. D'Angelo's putting me in the right spots. I just have to capitalize better, that's all." It could be recalled that Kobe Bryant has been widely known as a powerful shooter - a version of the Los Angeles Lakers player that has yet to be seen this NBA season.

With this kind of attitude, Byron Scott believes that Kobe Bryant needed a breather from basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers coach noted via ESPN, "I said, just stay away from the gym today," referring to his advice for the Black Mamba to take a day off to regroup. Byron Scott further stated, "Just spend some time with your kids and family and get basketball off your mind for 24 hours if you can -- which I don't think he can -- and then come in tomorrow fresh and we'll go from there."

As for the opinion of D'Angelo Russell, the rookie shared that Kobe Bryant will be back to his old self in no time. The first-year NBA star shared that the current status of Kobe Bryant's performance could be attributed to lack of luck from the "basketball gods." However, D'Angelo Russell is confident that the problematic performance of the Black Mamba will come to a halt soon enough.

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