Kobe: Lakers need to regroup
Kobe Bryant was looking forward to having Steve Nash back alongside him in the Los Angeles Lakers’ backcourt. But with Thursday’s news that Nash would not play this upcoming season and that the 40-year-old point guard might be done for good, the 36-year-old Bryant said he and the Lakers will have to find a way to regroup and move on.
“I talked to him (Thursday) and yeah, it’s tough,” Bryant told reporters outside the Lakers locker room at the MGM Grand Garden prior to Friday’s preseason finale vs. Sacramento. “I asked him if he was in good spirits and he said, ‘Yeah.’
“Back issues are tough to get over. But I always thought he’d be able to play. It wasn’t until (Lakers general manager) Mitch (Kupchak) called me yesterday and told me about Steve did I think we wouldn’t see him out there.”
Bryant, who is coming off a broken knee following a ruptured Achilles tendon the year before, did not play in Wednesday’s win over Portland and did not suit up Friday against the Kings. He said the time off this week has been beneficial and he’ll be ready to go when the Lakers open the 2014-15 NBA regular season Tuesday at the Staples Center against Houston.
“It felt good,” he said. “But I’m fine. I enjoyed my rest. But (Tuesday’s) the start of the journey and we’re all looking forward to getting off to a good start. We need to come out defending. We need to guard in the paint and defend at the 3-point line. That’s going to be real important for us.”
Without Nash, Bryant said the Lakers may have to re-think some of the things they do as a team.
“With him not out there, you’re missing a lot,” he said. “You’re missing his creativity, his playmaking, his basketball I.Q. Our guys are going to have to step up and contribute to their strengths.”
But Bryant knows what’s expected of him.
“I don’t think it changes what I do,” he said. “My focus is on being ready every night and lead this team. You read the situation as it comes. Every game is different. There’ll be games where I’ll need to do more (offensively) and there’ll be games where I’ll need to do less.”
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
