Kobe Bryant News: Co-NBA Star Comes to Bryant's Defense
Following another night of missed shots on Sunday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant called himself "the 200th best player in the league right now," but LeBron James thinks otherwise.
According to ESPN, James said, "He knows he don't suck," when asked what he thinks about his co-NBA star's performance for the previous games.
"What I see is a challenge to himself...it's all a personal challenge," James added, reminding himself and other NBA players that at some point in a basketball player's life, he will feel that he's not good enough. He also pointed out that Bryant's poor performance had nothing to do with his age, as some people and sports analysts suggest.
During the game against the Mavericks, Bryant obviously struggled for the third time to open the regular season, and while it is his 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, it is one of the seasons that has been hard on him.
With a start of 0-3, Bryant has only averaged 17.3 points per game and shot 31.3 percent from the floor. The shots included 20.7 percent from a 3-point range. The outlet added that the 17-time All-Star player garnered five fouls and missed shots in all of the games.
While Bryant is busy getting angry at himself for the missed shots and fouls he acquired, coach Byron Scott said "Kobe is the last person that I worry about," adding that as the person who has led the Lakers to championships, Bryant will come to terms with himself and once again get his game on.
Scott and James aren't taking Bryant's game seriously, but several sports analysts and fans are looking at another downfall for the player they once knew as one of the best players in the league.
Yahoo! News says Bryant is "badly missing" and his recent gameplay might suggest that the season won't look good for the Lakers, noting that the team has largely fallen on its defensive so far.
SB Nation also points out that Bryant was once known as the "most precise" player in the NBA, but his three shots that totally missed the rim during Tuesday's game with the Nuggets prove that he has a lot of work to do.
The outlet also says Bryant is "routinely" missing as his ball is obviously far from where it should be. On the other hand, many of his fans are still looking forward to seeing the strong and precise player that once ruled the hearts of the yellow and purple loyalists.