After the first three games of his 20th NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant is struggling, and it seems to be taking a toll on the 37-year-old veteran. Bryant is shooting a dismal 31.4 percent from the floor and 20.7 percent from beyond the arc with the superstar hitting a boiling point concerning his frustration level.
The missed shots are starting to pile up for Kobe with many speculating whether he may no longer be able to play at a high level in the NBA.
Superstar LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers was recently asked about Bryant’s struggles and believes it’s only another challenge for him to overcome, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
What I see is a challenge to himself,” James told me. “It has zero to do with his age. Zero. I think at one point in my career, in my 20s, I felt like I sucked. It’s all a personal challenge. I know him. He knows he don’t suck. C’mon man, it’s Kobe Bryant. But it’s a personal challenge to him. That’s all that is.”
Whether Kobe can break out of his current shooting slump remains to be seen. The five-time NBA champion has always been up for any challenge that has come his way during his career, but his advanced age and a long list of injuries over the years may have finally caught up with him.
Currently, Bryant is averaging a team-high 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 27.3 minutes on the floor.
Although Kobe has gotten off to a rough start, the Lakers are only three games into the 2015-16 NBA season with plenty of time for the superstar to turn things around. Los Angeles will host the Denver Nuggets at the Staples Center on Tuesday night with Bryant more than likely motivated to bounce back.