There have been many twists and turns in the Los Angeles Lakers' path with Kobe Bryant at the wheel, but there was always a road for them to follow.
Now that its driver is gone, L.A. finds itself mindlessly wandering through basketball's abyss.
The present is foggy, with that same haze rendering all future forecasts useless. The man who led this proud franchise for the last two decades is lost and may never return.
Stop-gap solutions are just that—Band-Aids pressed down on gushing wounds. Despite a shared past as brilliant as anything this NBA generation has seen, Bryant and his Lakers no longer know what the present or future holds. No one does.
"Remarkably Predictable"
That's how ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne described the Lakers during Bryant's tenure.
Outcomes changed. Supporting casts came and went. This pairing climbed the highest of the sport's highs and sank to its lowest of lows.
But the featured role belonged to Bryant. He's been the lead in this 18-year tango, dancing his way to championship bliss, unnerving mediocrity and every step in between.
That marquee spot still belongs to the Mamba, if for no other reason than the fact that L.A. ensured he'll remain the league's highest paid player for the next two seasons.
But does the 35-year-old still have the body to handle that prominent perch and all the responsibilities that it carries?
He's still some eight months removed from the torn Achilles that ended his 2012-13 campaign and cast an inescapable light on the on-court superhero's mortality.
He seemed to validate that larger-than-life status by feverishly working his way back to the hardwood. Any time a player of his age beats the back end of a return timetable, that's a remarkable accomplishment—just ask Steve Nash.
But this wasn't the same Bryant who fans re...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
