I think in Kobe’s twisted mind the only way he can wrap his head around dialing things back a bit it to believe his teammates are all playing their butts off to please him.
They might be doing it in spite of him, but whatever the case the Lakers have been much more competitive now that Kobe isn’t gunning 30 shots a game. Here is Kobe’s thought about changing his game.
“I’ve switched up a little bit,” he said. “I’ve gone to more of an old-man game instead of trying to beat guys off the dribble, which is a lot of stop-and-go and it wears down the joints. I just back ’em down, man. Back ’em down, take my time and that saves a lot.”
Part of that adjustment is Bryant trusting his teammates more.
“I think they feel more accountable because they know I’m going to come to them, and I’m going to keep coming to them and they don’t want to let me down,” Bryant said.
“When they miss a shot, it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ll make the next one.’ I think they feel more self-accountable and more responsible about knocking those down because I’m putting my trust in them.”
Don’t worry though YOLO Kobe is still bubbling right beneath the surface.
Bryant said he’s more trusting of his teammates, he can still be a dictator, a leadership style that can turn off many.
“It’s a balance,” Bryant said. “I drive a hard bargain. That’s just never going to change. If it breaks you, then you don’t belong here. If it doesn’t, then you’ll win championships. Simple as that.”
Never change Bean.