Advertisement

Bryant sinks to new low in his likely final season

(Reuters) - As the Golden State Warriors steamrolled Los Angeles Lakers to a historic start on Tuesday, aging star Kobe Bryant sank to a new low in a trying season expected to be his last. Bryant, slowed by age and past injuries, has looked like a shadow of his former self this year and that was never more apparent then against Golden State who blasted the Lakers to improve to a record 16-0. Bryant scored four points and managed to make just 1-of-14 shots to tie the worst shooting night of his 20-year career when he has attempted at last five shots. The Oracle Arena crowd, hoping to see a vintage Bryant performance amid their team’s inevitable win, seemed to deflate with every miss from the 37-year-old player. The misses have piled up as high as the Lakers’ (2-12) losses for Bryant this campaign as he entered the night shooting just 33 percent from the field. "He’s struggling right now to make a shot. I think he’ll be the first to tell you that," Los Angeles coach Byron Scott told reporters following his team's 111-77 defeat. "You can see that he was getting pretty frustrated at himself." Bryant has indicated that unless something changes this will likely be the final chapter of a career that has included five championships and countless memorable moments. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)