This surely won’t be what Kobe Bryant’s legion of die-hard fans want to hear. In a story by ESPN’s Arash Markazi, the Black Mamba said he’s taking a “more nurturing” approach to leadership in 2014-2015 than he has in the past.
Given the Los Angeles Lakers’ youth and inevitably low standing in the Western Conference, Kobe admits that he’s taken his notoriously fiery style of authority a step back this season.
“My style is a little different with his group. It’s a little more nurturing,” Bryant said. “They’re so much younger, so it’s a little different. The important thing with this group is learning how to think the game all the way through, which is different than on teams that we have had in the past. We had a lot of veteran guys who had been around. So my teaching style is different.”
Thank goodness. We feared for Julius Randle and company once it became clear that the Lakers had no realistic chance at the playoffs this season. It’s good to know that Bryant has adjusted to account for that reality.
And frankly, it’s about time. The days of star players grinding teammates to dust as motivation are over. A more measured and thoughtful way of guidance is not only necessary in today’s sporting world, but also extremely beneficial. There’s a reason why LeBron James is universally regarded as one of the best teammates in basketball while Bryant is reluctantly accepting that new reality.
Take these quotes in the same story from third-year man Robert Sacre:
“I didn’t even talk to the man,” Lakers center Robert Sacre said when asked about his first season as Bryant’s teammate. “I think the first two things I said to him were ‘ball’ and ‘outlet.’ Those were basically the only two things I said to him my first two weeks of training camp…”
“I believe he’s been more helpful during this whole process and the preseason,” Sacre said. “He’s been really vocal as a leader. In the past, he hasn’t been as vocal. But this year he’s really been trying to communicate and help guys out. This year has made an effort to push guys but at the same time give them advice to make them better.”
That Kobe opted against helping an overwhelmed rookie is indicative of a previous generation’s way of thinking. And while it might have worked for Michael Jordan, even Bryant fell victim to the pitfalls of it in the immediate aftermath of Shaquille O’Neal’s departure from Los Angeles in 2004. A team’s best player refusing to utilize vocal leadership? That’s unheard of in today’s game, and a black mark on the player in question’s reputation.
The unfortunate thing for Bryant is that it’s too late with these Lakers. Imagine how much better his teams of the 2000s might have been if he’d adopted the style he’s using today. Defenders of his past ideology will argue that Kobe’s play might have suffered if he tempered that crazy drive and competitiveness. If so, though, that’s simply a negative aspect of Bryant’s demeanor.
The most influential leaders find a way to set examples through means other than intimidation, and fail to slip while doing so. Could the Lakers legend have successfully gone that route? We think so.
But at least Kobe has realized his impact on this Los Angeles group will last especially long if he teaches and fosters as opposed to oppressing and alienating. For the sake of his career, we just wish Bryant had adapted sooner.
What do you think?
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