Kobe Bryant: ‘When I’ve Become the Voice of ‘Ball-Movement Reason,’ You Know You Have an Issue’

Kobe Bryant‘s strange, frustrating and potentially final season continues. Bryant said again this weekend that he knows he needs to be more of a mentor to the Lakers’ young players, rather than look for his own shot. But he’s also growing concerned with the lack of ball movement and stagnant offense. It’s something of a catch-22, since Kobe has been known as a ball-stopper throughout his career, but alas, it sounds like he’s gotten some perspective now.

Still, Kobe takes more shots per game than anyone else on the team (16 per game—next is Jordan Clarkson at 12.9 attempts per contest) so if he’s serious about coaching up the young guys, he’ll have to start cutting down on his own shots. Here’s more of what Kobe said specifically, from Baxter Holmes of ESPN:

“I’m just trying to help these young guys, honestly,” Bryant said Friday after the Lakers’ 102-91 loss to the Toronto Raptors, during which he scored 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting during a season- and game-high 37 minutes.

 

“I feel good enough that I could go out there and score 25 or something like that, but what the hell is that going to do for these guys? It’s not going to do a damn thing.”

 

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One element Bryant particularly preached Friday was ball movement, which he felt was lacking against the Raptors.

 

“When I’ve become the voice of ‘ball-movement reason,’ you know you have an issue,” Bryant said. “I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be the one preaching that stuff. That’s crazy.

 

He added, “I can’t believe I’m saying this s—. Are you kidding me? Like a kid that grows up and just starts sounding like his parents.”