Nick Young and Kobe Bryant have hit it off this season with the five-time NBA champion showing he trusts his teammate despite the off-the-court antics. Even though Kobe never saw eye-to-eye with Dwight Howard, who seems to have a similar personality, Young has shown the willingness to put the work in on the basketball floor and as result has earned the respect of arguably the greatest player to wear a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.
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With all the talk surrounding Kobe potentially calling it a career earlier than anticipated, Young said the following about what his teammate is going through, via ESPN’s Baxter Holmes:
“I know it’s tough for him,” Young said. “We don’t realize what we have here with Kobe and when it’s gone, it’s over. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You realize how great he really was and how fortunate we were to have him out there on the court.”
Although Young has struggled over the past few weeks, the veteran sixth man has been soaking up the knowledge like a sponge from Kobe during his short time with the Lakers. At times, Bryant and Young are a lethal one-two punch on the floor together with both offensive-minded players feeding off one another. It could be argued that Young provides the spark that motivates Kobe both in practice and during games.
Bryant doesn’t have that fellow star player with an edge like he has in the past with a player like Metta World Peace to challenge him, but Young seems to fit the bill for the time being.
Only time will tell if Kobe ultimately decides to walk away earlier than anticipated. Bryant is intent on finishing out his contract with the Lakers before announcing his retirement, but if his body simply isn’t up to the task of another 82-game season, the next three and half months could be the last we see of the superstar in purple and gold.
[divide]Lakers Kobe Bryant Discusses Future Possibility Of Being Shutdown