NBA Legend Kobe Bryant Confident Of LA Lakers Recovery

5th December 2018

They signed LeBron James in the close season in a bid to transform their fortunes and are currently 14-9 in the Western Conference.

In this file photo taken on April 13, 2016, Kobe Bryant waves to fans as he takes the court for his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers against Utah Jazz in their season-ending NBA western division matchup n Los Angeles. Bryant is confident the Los Angeles Lakers are on the road to recovery and will soon be "laughing" at fans of the all-conquering Golden State Warriors. Bryant said the iconic NBA franchise would soon be challenging for honours once more. PHOTO/AFP
In this file photo taken on April 13, 2016, Kobe Bryant waves to fans as he takes the court for his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers against Utah Jazz in their season-ending NBA western division matchup n Los Angeles. Bryant is confident the Los Angeles Lakers are on the road to recovery and will soon be "laughing" at fans of the all-conquering Golden State Warriors. Bryant said the iconic NBA franchise would soon be challenging for honours once more. PHOTO/AFP
SUMMARY
  • Kobe Bryant is confident the Los Angeles Lakers are on the road to recovery and will soon be "laughing" at fans of the all-conquering Golden State Warriors
  • Lakers legend Bryant said the iconic NBA franchise would soon be challenging for honours once more after failing to make the play-offs for the past five seasons
  • However while Bryant expressed confidence about the Lakers' renewal, he warned that James could not be expected to shoulder the burden of the team's recovery alone

LOS ANGELES, United States- Kobe Bryant is confident the Los Angeles Lakers are on the road to recovery and will soon be "laughing" at fans of the all-conquering Golden State Warriors.

Lakers legend Bryant said the iconic NBA franchise would soon be challenging for honours once more after failing to make the play-offs for the past five seasons.

The Lakers, who signed LeBron James in the close season in a bid to transform their fortunes, are currently 14-9 in the Western Conference.

Asked if he believed his former team would win another NBA title soon, Bryant replied: "Of course they will. Of course they will."

"They have determination to figure it out. They will figure it out," said Bryant, who was speaking at a Lakers event held at the Staples Center late on Monday.

Balancing act

"They have talented players. So enjoy the journey because we'll be champions before you know it. Then we'll just be laughing at all the Warrior fans," he added, referring to the reigning NBA champions.

However while Bryant expressed confidence about the Lakers' renewal, he warned that James could not be expected to shoulder the burden of the team's recovery alone.

"He's always had the spotlight, right? He's been able to deal with that gracefully," Bryant said. "I think the difference here is that you have a collection of players with a lot of talent all young. And so the challenge is, can they figure out what their games are individually, sooner rather than later?

"It's a test of Bron's patience, and also doing what he needs to do to keep the team's head above water. So it's a balancing act."