Lakers’ Kobe Bryant intrigued with LSU’s Ben Simmons

Lakers coach Byron Scott expressed dismay, saying according to the Los Angeles Times: “Kobe’s fearless”.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is about to call it a career after 20 years of legendary basketball.

Bryant recorded his first dunk of the season on Thursday against the Houston Rockets, a right-handed slam over forward Clint Capela in the third quarter of a 107-87 loss.

Lakers’ Kobe Bryant intrigued with LSU’s Ben Simmons: With the games becoming unwatchable, Lakers fans have played a new parlor game.

Thunder 118, Lakers 78: Kevin Durant had 22 points and eight rebounds, Enes Kanter had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Oklahoma City won its eighth-straight home game.

Bryant will retire at the end of the season after winning five National Basketball Association championships over two decades with the Lakers, and labelled Simmons as “a fantastic player” with “a tremendous amount of potential”.

Scott joked beforehand, “I just don’t want him to ask for his autograph after the game”. “We’re looking to come out [Tuesday against Denver] and make amends for the way we played the last game”. Despite being the No. 7 overall pick in 2014 and representing one of the key cogs in Los Angeles’ future, Scott remains adamant that Randle isn’t ready. Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell disagreed.

Bryant, who began his LA Lakers career as an 18-year-old in 1996, stands third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list behind fellow Americans Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. “Obviously the game got out of hand real early, and I just thought (the Thunder) were just in attack mode from the starting buzzer to the end”. This just feels like another lost season for so many players on this team, while the franchise keeps everything on hold just so one player can get one last shot at glory, while the others are starving for a coach who can actually teach them something.

“I think we were playing too stiff”, said Harden of the team’s recent performances. “I think it has impacted the generation coming in a big way and they will pass that along to the next generation to come”.

Bryant’s stance marks a considerable U-turn from claims he made previous year, when he said he has no intention of competing at Rio 2016. “I came into the league when there were still many great players playing, like John Stockton was still playing”. “Sometimes I get a little overzealous or excited when we beat Atlanta, beat Chicago, beat some of these teams”.

Centre Dwight Howard, who was loudly booed again by Lakers fans still bitter over his decision to spurn the team for Houston nearly two years ago, scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds despite experiencing foul trouble throughout the contest.