Kobe Bryant has spent his whole career as a shooting guard, even though he’s had his fair share of ball hogging nobody has ever called Kobe a point guard. That’ll be like saying a black mamba is a gecko, it doesn’t fit.
In today’s NBA many players are accustomed to play more than one position, you can be 6″5 and play point guard, you can be 6″7 and play power forward. There are many cases and for the first time ever, Kobe Bryant might be one of those cases. Retiring Head Trainer of the Lakers Gary Vitti talked to Kobe about it, wondering who would be the Lakers SF, Vitti suggested Kobe and Kobe is up for it.
Vitti is often an emissary between players and management. He recently met up with Bryant, with whom he shares a longtime bond.
“He was asking about our young kids, and I said, ‘You cannot believe how quick and athletic Jordan Clarkson is. He looks fantastic,’” Vitti said. “I said I personally thought D’Angelo Russell is going to be a star. He makes hard things look easy when he has the ball in his hands.
“Then Kobe said to me, ‘Well, then who’s going to play [small forward]?’ I looked at him and I said, ‘You.’ And with absolute, 100% confidence, he said, ‘I can do that.’“
With Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell looking good, it seems reasonable to get Kobe on the small forward position, Julius Randle starts at power forward and then Roy Hibbert at center. Not the worst starting 5 in the world.
