Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant Praises Steve Nash

Los Angeles Lakers‘ star guard Kobe Bryant heaped praise upon point guard Steve Nash, a two time NBA MVP

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Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers hoped that simply getting both Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash back from injury could be enough to get the Lakers back into the playoffs in 2015.

Of course, that seemed like a long-shot in the loaded Western Conference but they were still confident they could get it done. Unfortunately, Steve Nash suffered a back injury that will cost him the entire season. Rather than being upset, Kobe Bryant heaped praise on his teammate, knowing Steve Nash did everything he could in order to play this season.

“You can control what you can control,” Bryant said before the Lakers’ final preseason game, a 93-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night via Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles. “He did everything to get back and play at a high level. From that standpoint but the he should be able to sleep at night. I know I would. I can only think about that in my situation; I just tried to do everything possible to be ready, and if it wasn’t in the cards, if I couldn’t get back to being at that level, you just have to accept it and when you lay your head down you know that you did absolutely everything possible.”

Steve Nash remains in high spirits.

“It’s tough,” said Bryant, who later talked to the two-time MVP about the injury and his future. “I just asked him if he was in good spirits and he said, ‘Yeah.’ It kind of is what it is at this point. … He struggled with his back even when he was in his prime. I really don’t think it’s an age thing, it’s an injury thing. He’s had to deal with it his entire career, and it just caught up with him now.”

In his 18-year career, the 15th-overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft has put up 14.3 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49.0% from the floor, 42.8% from three and 90.4% from the free throw line.

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