Three new Lakers answer their first Kobe Bryant question with a chorus of silence
The Los Angeles Lakers did not sign any All-Stars this summer, franchise-level types like LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love told the team “no” before moving onto championship contenders as free agents, but this wasn’t the worst summer! They signed and traded for former All-Stars! There’s nary a Carlos Boozer or Jeremy Lin acquisition to triumph!
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Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass – these are all really good players! Surely they’d appease the competitive spirit of one Kobe Bryant, reported to be entering the final year of his NBA career in 2015-16.
If the team’s press conference on Wednesday is any indication … eh, nah:
Now, Hibbert has distracted many a Bryant drive in his career, and Lou Williams has no doubt matched wits in a one-on-one crossover-fest with Kobe Bean. Brandon Bass, even, was a former member of the hated Celtics. Still, these are all more than serviceable players. Williams was an All-Star in 2013. Hibbert was an All-Star in 2012 and 2014 and was thought to be the most important player on a championship contender as recently as 14 months ago.
These are good players that won’t be able to lead the team to the playoffs in 2015-16, but they will contribute enough to possibly take the Lakers out of the high lottery and … oh, yeah, the Lakers would then have to give up their lottery pick to the 76ers. After Kobe’s final season.
Perhaps you can kind of understand why Kobe’s a bit cross, and suffering in silence.
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
