Kobe Bryant Shouldn’t Be An All-Star

Despite league commissioner Adam Silver and others wanting him to make an appearance, Kobe Bryant shouldn’t play in the 2015 All-Star game.

Before things get chippy, understand one thing before I go into why this should be the case — I think incredibly highly of Kobe Bryant.

This isn’t a hater post or anything to that effect, because trust me, if he had a case to be in the All-Star game, I’d be first in line to make that happen.

Or at least make a push for it to come to fruition.

But looking at the picture realistically, Bryant is not in All-Star form in his final season.

If recent games are any indication, D’Angelo Russell is going to need a lot of sideline coaching from Bryant if he’s going to excel coming off the bench in Byron Scott’s new system.

At first, working both Russell and Julius Randle from the bench took some serious criticism form the media and those close to the team.

But against all odds, they still excelled.

Randle looked comfortable in the role, apparently ignoring all raw emotions and keeping those away from his performance on the hardwood. Moving forward, his role on both sides of the floor is going to be the ultimate x-factor.

Then, thinking of D’Angelo Russell going off for career-highs coming from the bench, Byron Scott, for the moment, looks like a mastermind.

But there’s still Kobe Bryant to take into consideration.

Putting Bryant in the All-Star game this year would serve as an imperative distraction and is not what Bryant or the team should want to have happen.

Sure, it’d bring a lot more attention to that game in particular.

Live Feed

Lake Show Life

Sure, you could add it to an impressive farewell tour that Bryant has been enjoying thus far.

Sure, you could even say that his legendary career should overplay this particular season’s numbers.

But even then, that’s just going off of hype — and that’s not what the All-Star game is about.

If we’re to expect Bryant to embrace his changing role with the team he’s stayed with for so long, why should we give him the illusion that he’s still at his peak?

That’s not fair, is it?

I know that all things on the emotional and respect levels tell us that it should just be an automatic yes, but if we do that, we aren’t giving much homage to the All-Star system that is supposed to highlight the up-and-coming stars.

Or at least the players actually doing good individually.

Bottom Line: The Kobe of now is not the same as the Kobe of past.

Kobe Bryant’s focus needs to be on how he can continue to be the coach that Byron Scott hasn’t been.

Otherwise, all talk of the Lakers being anywhere near decent in the immediate future is nothing more than talk at the water cooler.