Why Kobe's "Weariness" May Be Cause For Worry Beyond NBA Finals

A lot has been written and said about how Kobe Bryant flamed out in the final half of the Lakers' loss on Tuesday night.

Phil Jackson, never one to shy away at calling his players out through the media, said Bryant was fatigued.  Bryant, contrary to him admitting it in Denver, denied being tired.  Analysts say he missed an unusual 50 percent of his free throws because his legs were gone.

Worrisome for the Lakers and their fans for Game Four and for the rest of the Finals.  But there's a bigger picture here.  It's a picture that has been rarely touched upon over the numerous articles and media reports that have mentioned Bryant being tired at the end of Game Three.

How much does Kobe have left?

The skills are still there and he'll surely improve on his enormous skill set over the summer.  He always does.  His deadly mid-range game may become downright homicidal.  His underrated passing game may be mentioned in the same breath as Chris Paul's or LeBron James' come next season.  Undoubtedly, his desire and killer instinct won't flame out.

But how much will Kobe Bryant's body have left?  This is less about age as it is about the "NBA miles" he's put on his body, especially over the past three years.

Bryant played 77 games in the 2006-2007 regular season and five in the playoffs. During the summer, he played 10 games in the FIBA Americas Championship.  In the 2007-2008 season, he started all 82 regular season games and played in 21 playoff games.  Last summer, he played eight games in the Olympics and then one more regular season with 82 games along with 21 games (and counting) in these playoffs.

That's 306 games (as of Jun. 10, 2009) in three years, not counting preseason games, practices, traveling, and promotional appearances on behalf of the Lakers, the national team, and his sponsors.

There hasn't been an NBA player who's been doin' as much work as Bryant has done in the past three years. 

On the optimistic side, Bryant is going to have more than just a few weeks off this summer for the first time in three years to re-energize and heal some nagging injuries; not to mention there is little debate about him being one of the most well-conditioned and durable players in the league.

However, at almost 31, how much of a toll have the past three years (not to mention the long seasons before that) taken on him for the future?

Just don't ask Kobe that question.  He may run through you like that wall he declared he'd run through after Game Three.