Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Should Be Resting During Lockout, Not Playing Overseas

When president of the NBA Players Association and Lakers guard Derek Fisher was cornered for questions at his basketball camp last Friday, only two topics mattered.

The first was, of course, the state of the lockout—a fairly obvious topic to discuss with the president of the players' union. And to give fans a quick update—no, basketball is not back. Not even close.

Then reporters turned to another topic—one that is on everyone's mind heading into next season.

The health of Kobe Bryant.

Plenty has been written about the wear and tear inflicted on Kobe's body from playing at an elite level for 15 NBA seasons. And when you look at them, the numbers are astounding.

He's played 1,103 career regular season games and 208 playoff games. Do the math and you get a combined total of 48,324 minutes played. Only Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have posted more minutes during the regular season than Kobe. And that's not including Kobe's playoff minutes.

But these numbers only tell one side of the story. The other side is what we see in Kobe's play on the court, and what he can do to continue playing at this elite level in spite of the mileage he's endured.

His best solution? Some serious, protracted, regenerating rest.

All of last season, and even seasons before then, Kobe Bryant has been unable to consistently practice with the team—taking the time instead to heal up, tend to the laundry list of injuries he's accumulated over the years, and keep himself fresh for game time—when it really matters.

In fact, during his exit interview this season, Bryant said he was looking forward to rest this summer in anticipation for next year.

It wasn't clear to fans then that No. 24's idea of "rest" meant running a summer basketball camp in Los Angeles, hosting basketball clinics in Korea, touring China, playing exhibition games in the Philippines, and showing off his soccer skills in Washington D.C.

And now the talk of Kobe teaming up with Turkish basketball club Besiktas to play competitively overseas became a real possibility Saturday after Kobe was scheduled to meet face-to-face with Besiktas team representatives. These developments have to give Lakers fans and Lakers management definite reasons for concern.

Kobe's health appeared to catch up with him by the time the playoffs rolled around last season, as the Mamba was unable to consistently create open looks for himself in the fourth quarter with the game on the line—something Lakers fans have become accustomed to seeing throughout Kobe's illustrious career.

Playing an entire year on a right knee that—in Kobe's words—is literally "bone on bone" and with a broken finger in his shooting hand, Kobe Bryant could use the time off to heal up. You don't need to be a doctor to know that resting this summer is a no-brainer.

But he is instead overlooking his own health complications and risking further injury to play competitively for an international basketball team other than the Lakers, something that is viewed by many as reckless and irresponsible.

There is no real difference between Kobe skipping practice to stay fresh during the season and Kobe skipping an opportunity to play overseas to stay fresh during the summer.

By his own logic, Kobe should remain stateside. Resting. In a cryogenic chamber.

Whether its the money, the thrill of an adventure, or the courtship that has Kobe so intrigued to play overseas, the most sensible way to catch Michael Jordan's 6 NBA title mark—a milestone Kobe definitely wants next to his name—is to rest up for next season and leave the overseas hoops to the young guys.

Should we be surprised that Kobe is even considering such a decision? His entire career, Kobe has defied his most vocal critics by proving time and time again that he can beat the odds in the face of popular opinion.

The "Will He or Won't He" saga Laker fans are forced to stomach this offseason is yet another nail-biting chapter in the storied book of No. 24. 

After all, it just wouldn't be Kobe if there wasn't a bit of controversy.

But this shouldn't be about controversy for Kobe. It should instead be about the Lakers quest for their 17th NBA title when the season begins. I can guarantee—without controversy—that this quest does not begin nor end anywhere close to Turkey. It begins approximately 6,859 miles from Turkey.

Perhaps a world map might bring some sense to the Mamba. Otherwise, Kobe's health and the Lakers' hopes at a title next season might become lost across the Atlantic.