When Michael Jordan couldn’t fly as high as he used to, he developed a deadly mid-range and post game to offset his lack of explosiveness.
Kobe Bryant will return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup sometime in the next few weeks, and he’s aware that he probably won’t be the same high flying above the rim athlete he once was.
Howard Beck of Bleacher Report spoke with Bryant recently, and Bryant says “he’s prepared to adapt if his athleticism disappears.”
“There’s different ways I can go,” Bryant said, striking a reflective tone. “Obviously, the easier of the two would be if I could have the same type of explosiveness that I had last year. It makes my game very easy. But if it’s not there, I’m ready to adapt.”
Bryant of course means that he’s prepared to play the game in the same efficient below the rim manner that Andre Miller Paul Pierce and others have mastered.
“Guys that have an unpredictable rhythm to their game,” Bryant said, “moreso than using speed.”