Kobe's Timetable

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The 2013-2014 campaign will foresee the NBA future for Kobe Bryant. The 34-year-old Los Angeles Laker will be entering the final year of his contract, set to make a little over $30.4 million next year. Black Mamba, Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak each have a big decision to make. What are they willing to do to win?

The Lakers roster is egregiously hard to look at, especially from a financial point of view. After they inevitably attempt to sign Dwight to a massive contract, the Lakers will have spent $45 million over the salary cap. This is where Kobe Bryant comes in.

The Black Mamba aka “Pass it to the Italian,” aka the flying Philadelphian aka Lord of the Rings aka Kobe Wan Kenobi aka The Prophecy aka KB24 aka the last samurai is the last great shooting guard this league has ever seen. Theoretically, Michael Jordan was not my generation, but Kobe was. He is 1 ring short of Michael, and it seems that this last run at a title will define his career. With Pau Gasol on the final year of his contract, and Nash’s retirement looking inevitably closer, 2013-2014 might be Kobe’s best shot.

Kobe’s numbers: 27.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.4 SPG on 46% shooting.

In 2012-13, Kobe’s numbers did not see a serious decline, meaning that after next year, the decision to keep him on the roster is obvious. Kupchak knows Kobe Bryant can theoretically compete until he’s 40, maybe 45.

The Achilles tear he suffered at the end of this season will set him back until November, maybe December. Until then D’Antoni’s group will need to find a consistent option on offense (shouldn’t be problem with Mike in the coaching chair).

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However, Kobe’s future looks bleak. For any other player who finished a year scoring 27 points a night, they would be excited for the upcoming season. Kobe, on the other hand, understands his position in this league and what its gonna take for him to beat Durant’s Thunder and LeBron’s Heat. They will need Dwight, Nash, and Pau along with a strong and capable bench, as well as a truly dominant coach, like the Zen Master.

Kobe Bryant will likely sign a new contract in 2014, but only if Kupchak puts 2 qualified stars around Bryant, hoping #24 will take care of the rest.