How many more years does Kobe have?
Posted by Media Outrage on December 5th, 2007
How much longer can Kobe Bryant maintain his role as the best player on the planet? He is now 29 years old and in his 12th season. Yes he won 3 consecutive championships and was fortunate enough to do it at such a young age (ages 21-23). But it is now clear that he is a veteran in the league with a not so good team. The question is can he continue to carry this team and in the process put the kind of wear and tear on his body this late in his career?
Will he win another championship? With San Antonio, and Phoenix on the west it is doubtful. But anything is possible. That is one of the reasons Kobe has demanded some talent around him or be traded to a team that can compete because he knows that the time clock is ticking.
Here is what certain people including Kobe had to say about that…
On the possibility that he might only remain dominant for 3 more years Kobe says…
“You’re telling me I only have two or three years left…Tell me that. I want you to.”
Jason Kidd says…
“Kobe’s won three championships in a row from October to June, and that’s a lot of basketball at a high level. So there is a lot of mileage.”
“But seeing him this summer and the way he takes care of himself, he’s always preparing himself to play and be the focal point.”
Here’s what a team executive said…
“Kobe is such a workout fiend, and there’s nobody in our league as single-minded as he is,” this team president said. “With his toughness and his mind-set, I would not put it past him to find a way to keep dominating for a long time.”
Doc Rivers…
“Kobe could play at this level for a long time,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Not only has he become a great jump shooter, but he’s also developed that fadeaway [from the] post that Jordan developed. But it obviously depends on what’s around him. If he has to carry the load, then that shortens his longevity.”
“I just wish more people would celebrate Kobe, I really do,” Rivers said. “Of all the guys in our league, that bugs me more than anything, that it just seems like we spend so much time trying to tear him apart and I think we’re missing how great he is. And I think it’s a shame.”
Bryant said he has relied more on his jumper because of the NBA’s defensive rules — and not because of his advancing age.
“The rules are completely different now,” said Bryant, comparing his era to Jordan’s. “I’ve always been able to shoot the ball, but the rules have changed since he played in terms of playing a zone defense. You have to be a jump shooter now because there’s no way you can get to the basket — particularly myself because they just stack guys up. I wish we had the rules they had back in the day where you could isolate guys and you could go to the basket anytime. But now you have to be able to shoot.”
The evolving science of athletic training should also enable Bryant to extend his career. Jordan took personal training to a new level by working year-round with Tim Grover. Now Bryant is raising the bar again.
“The techniques that we have available to ourselves now, the level of treatment that we have available is basically around the clock,” Bryant said. “I have a solid team of five or six guys and women that are very capable in different areas: chiropractor, neuromuscular therapist, dietician, chef, yada, yada, yada.
“It’s a lifestyle. If you want to continue to play at a high level, you have to make certain sacrifices. I mean, you can’t have a burger every damn day.”
The evolving science of athletic training should also enable Bryant to extend his career. Jordan took personal training to a new level by working year-round with Tim Grover. Now Bryant is raising the bar again.
“The techniques that we have available to ourselves now, the level of treatment that we have available is basically around the clock,” Bryant said. “I have a solid team of five or six guys and women that are very capable in different areas: chiropractor, neuromuscular therapist, dietician, chef, yada, yada, yada.
“It’s a lifestyle. If you want to continue to play at a high level, you have to make certain sacrifices. I mean, you can’t have a burger every damn day.”
“I roll with it a little bit when they say there’s a [two-to-three-year] window,” Bryant said. “No way, no way. Barring injury or something like that, if you’re willing to adapt, you can play for a long time.”
We definitely believe he has a few more good years in him. Now we don’t know about him winning anymore championships.
