One of the biggest reasons the Los Angeles Lakers gave veteran guard Kobe Bryant a contract extension that many likely feel is borderline outrageous is because of their brand. They have a giant television contract and they depend on a star like Bryant to make them money. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Bryant will likely still be a more-than capable scorer. [related-category
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders believes the Lakers not only need Bryant healthy for their on-the-court success but for their off-of-the-court success as well.
"The Lakers need Kobe to rebound from not only his Achilles injury, which he played six games on last season, but his fractured lateral tibial plateau that cost him the rest of the season as well.The Lakers have fielded much of the same squad as last year, with a few interesting additions, but if the Lakers are going to make any noise this year they need Kobe to be on the floor to look something like Kobe is supposed to look.If Kobe plays the “in and out of the lineup” game because of nagging injuries, not only will the Lakers season likely be lost, but that final contract year may become a huge deterrent in free agency. The Lakers need Bryant to look good for a number of reasons; some of those are about this season, some are about the future."
Bryant averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 18.8% from beyond the arc and 85.7% from the free throw line last season. In his career, he has put up 25.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.4% from the field, 33.5% from three and 83.8% from the charity stripe.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.