Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott has revealed that he asked veteran guard Kobe Bryant to attend the game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
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The Lakers unsurprisingly lost again as they fell to 16-46 for the season which leaves them just a game-and-a-half above the Minnesota Timberwolves at the bottom of the Western Conference.
With Bryant recovering from shoulder surgery and the rest of the roster clearly not talented enough to win games consistently, Scott needed a boost and wanted his veteran star to be around as he believes it benefits the players.
“I wanted him around. I like seeing him,” Scott said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“It was good to see him out here. Good to see him with this teammates. I’m sure it was good for the fans to see him as well.”
The 36-year-old spoke to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell during the game and provided an update on how his rehabilitation is going, and insisted that it was much easier for him to deal with a shoulder injury as opposed to the Achilles and knee issues he has suffered with over the past two years.
Nevertheless, he is keen to step up his recovery and get healthy in time for training camp later this year, and he promised that he would “come back with vengeance” next year.
Although he isn’t able to take to the court, Bryant’s mere presence and influence on the younger players will undoubtedly give Scott help in building the right atmosphere and approach moving forward.
Bryant is expected to work out with rookie Julius Randle in the summer, and he will play a key role both on and off the court in what is widely acknowledged as being his final year in the NBA.
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