L.A. Lakers: Have Kobe Bryant's Name and Fame Outgrown His Game?

A fellow B/R writer whom I admire and respect recently commented on an article I penned, and his opinion concerning Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his performance in the 2011 NBA Playoffs was shocking to say the least.

The writer said the Lakers looked totally unprepared to play the Dallas Mavericks, whom they were eventually swept by, and he went on to say that the defeat was proof that Bryant had been reduced to simply living on his name alone.

Of course, I readily agreed with the first part of that statement, but the comment about Bryant was troubling on a variety of levels.

Honestly, I've been hearing that Bryant was living off his fame and name since the 2001 season, but to hear it in the present tense from a person who harbors none of the familiar hate that is usually leveled in Bryant's direction gave the accusation a little more merit.

If one were to judge Bryant by his regular-season numbers alone, then it would be hard to justify the statement that he was only surviving on his name, since his 25.3 points per game regular-season average still ranked among the NBA's top 10 scorers, and mirrors his career average.

But the 25.3 points during the 2010-11 regular season also ranks as Bryant's lowest scoring average since 2003-04, and if his lowest scoring average in eight seasons may suggest a subtle decline in his game, how do you explain the 2011 postseason?

Bryant only averaged 22.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in this year's playoffs, and the 22.8 points ranks as his lowest postseason-scoring output since the 1999-2000 season.

The below-average scoring of Bryant in the postseason is one thing, but the inability of him to seize the moment from the Mavericks or inspire his teammates with his ability is entirely something else.

Throughout the Dallas series, most Lakers fans kept waiting for the moment that Bryant would stamp his initials on the series and power the Lakers into a fourth-consecutive Western Conference Finals.

But that moment never materialized, as the defense of the Mavericks mostly kept Bryant bottled up and contained for the duration of the series.

And this is the Mavericks' defense we are talking about, not the Boston Celtics.

At least if it was the Celtics' formerly staunch defense, Lakers fans would have a legitimate excuse for their collapse; but Los Angeles was swept by Dallas.

The same Dallas Mavericks that Bryant has made a habit of embarrassing for most of his career managed to make him and his team look slow, clumsy and, most importantly for Bryant, very, very old.

It's not like Bryant's superstar-teammate Pau Gasol was much help, but with the two-time defending champion Lakers facing elimination, Bryant was unable to conjure up one more performance for the ages.

Bryant's failure in that instance has led many observers to believe that Bryant's time as an elite player may be coming to an end, while others feel he has already reached that stage in his career.

The Lakers will likely make significant changes to their roster in an attempt to return to the NBA Finals next season, but it's highly doubtful Bryant will be among the players who will be former Lakers in 2011-12.

Bryant's decline is inevitable and his body has suffered through the wear and tear of 15 seasons of NBA basketball. I do believe we may have witnessed the first major step in his eventual deterioration this season.

But that doesn't mean that Bryant is done as an elite player, and his hunger and passion after such an embarrassing postseason loss to Dallas will definitely play a major part in Bryant's motivation next year.

But will his drive be enough to compensate for a body embarking on its 16th NBA season, and can Bryant's mid-30s mind reconcile the fact that he is now a senior citizen playing a young man's game?

Bryant will probably approach next season with the attitude that the Dallas defeat is just another challenge in a career that has been marked by obstacles.

But can Bryant summon up the strength to make his mind say "go," even as his body says "no?"

The offseason will give the Lakers a chance to correct the flaws that led to their collapse against the Mavericks, and the start of the 2011-12 season will give Bryant a chance to prove that his name and fame still matches his game.