Kobe Bryant Practicing? The Lakers Must Really Be Serious Now

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will play the most important game of their season vs. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks on Friday night, and it’s clearer than ever that L.A.‘s not taking the Dallas lightly. Kobe’s even practicing now. Kevin Ding reports at the Orange County Register:

It was Bryant’s first practice since his April 15 cameo two days before the playoffs even started, and every Laker reported afterward Thursday what a productive session this was.

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It was like your dad who is too busy working on his own big deals stopping to take the time not just to help with your homework, but really sharing the experience. By being on the court learning with them instead of lording over them, Bryant was better able to convey to his teammates his personal lack of panic, his trust that they together should stay confident about their capabilities and their corrections.

Unrelated to Kobe’s practice habits... doesn’t that photo of him and Pau capture their relationship better than any game tape ever could? It’s uncanny.

As for the latest news out of Hollwood... Are we really congratulating Kobe for showing up to practice before the biggest game of the season? That’s what that was, right? I mean, wow. The Kobe Bryant experience has seen its fair share of absurd, symbolic gestures, but this is right up there with that whole shooting-after-the-Heat-game stuff.

Will it make a difference Friday night? Who knows. But whatever happens, something tells me Phil Jackson’s book about this season will be an instant classic.