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After a dismal 0-5 start for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, things seem worse than most people thought they’d get for the purple and gold — and that’s really saying something. Before the season started, not many people thought this Lakers team would be very good anyway.
Now that they’ve begun their season winless after a quintet of games, words like “worst team in the NBA” are being thrown out while discussing the Lakers.
It is, quite frankly, a dire situation.
And it is also one that seems eerily familiar.
The legendary players going down guns blazing, the slim possibility of a playoff birth, the lack of surrounding talent: Yup, Kobe Bryant’s Lakers sound just like Michael Jordan’s Washington Wizards.
Both Kobe and Jordan rejoined their teams after significant time off.
FacebookWhile Jordan’s return to the NBA was preceded by three seasons spent outside of the league, Kobe rejoined his Lakers following two major injuries that practically cost him all of last season and a significant chunk of the one before.
Kobe is doing way too much for his age, just like Jordan did.
RE: Kobe’s 37 shots as a 36-year-old last night … only Michael Jordan has hoisted more at that age. MJ had one 38 FGA game as a Wizard
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 5, 2014
But he’s still pulling off fantastic moves.
Jordan may have been old with the Wizards, but he still had a knack for getting the crowd out of their seats. Kobe clearly hasn’t lost that ability, either.
Both played with no-name players.
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Tyrone Nesby, anyone? How about Robert Sacre?
But Kobe’s Lakers are still amongst the most-watched teams in the league, much like Jordan’s Wizards were.
While the Wizards had sell-out crowds during Jordan’s time in Washington, the Lakers will be amongst the most high-profile teams this season, with 28 scheduled games airing on national television. In both cases, star players drive the interest.
Both Kobe and Jordan worked with their coaches when they were young.
Former Wizards head coach Doug Collins was Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls head coach before Phil Jackson came along. Byron Scott, on the other hand, was somewhat of a mentor during Kobe Bryant’s rookie season in the 90s.
Both put pressure on their teammates through the media.
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Jordan was notorious for criticizing his teammates through the media, once even saying that his team “stinks.”
This past summer, Kobe was also noted for his less-than-flattering review of his teammates, making jokes at the expense of Nick Young and telling Julius Randle he’d be a “really big idiot” to squander his chance of making it with the Lakers.
Both teams had no chance at competing for the title.
With the Lakers at 0-5, you don’t need an explanation on this one.
But Kobe still believes that sky’s the limit, just like — guess who? — Jordan did.
FacebookMuch like Jordan used to with the Wizards at times, Kobe Bryant is talking up the Lakers’ chances of making a huge and unlikely turnaround. Kobe said:
Just as easily as we lost five in a row, we can turn around and win five in a row.
Kobe and Jordan both led inexperienced teams.
Getty ImagesOn both the 01-02 Wizards and 02-03’s roster, Jordan played alongside nine players with only five years or less NBA experience. Kobe’s 2014-15 Lakers feature 10 types of those guys.
Jordan was criticized for his lack of contribution to the team’s success. In some circles, Kobe receives the same criticisms.
One unnamed assistant coach recently told ESPN:
It’s like Michael Jordan in Washington. I, for one, didn’t want to see Michael’s last tour with Washington. Nobody did. When the Lakers play Philly and other low-level teams, Kobe will do whatever he wants. But when he plays good teams and gets doubled? That’s when we’ll see that he’s not the same player.
And both Kobe and Jordan were blamed for their teams’ rosters.
FacebookBecause Michael Jordan had a significant role in the Wizards’ front office before returning to the court, some critics felt that he deserved a share of the blame for not helping build a stronger roster.
Kobe, who seemingly plays a big role in selling the idea of playing with the Lakers to potential recruits, has also been criticized recently by unnamed sources in a high profile ESPN report.
Those sources essentially told Henry Abbott that Bryant’s “a-hole-ness has been a turn off for free agents.”
Both teams only had one complementary scorer.
Getty ImagesJordan had Rip Hamilton one year and Jerry Steakhouse the other. On his side, Kobe only has Nick Young, and he’s been injured. Yikes.
It was hard to watch Jordan on the Wizards — and it’s the same story watching Kobe lead the Lakers.
Getty ImagesBut we don’t care, ’cause we like watching legends.
Read more: http://elitedaily.com/sports/kobes-lakers-similar-to-jordans-wizards/838524/
15 Ways Kobe Bryant"s Lakers Are Just Like Michael Jordan"s Wizards
basketball., kobe bryant, Michael Jordan, NBA, Washington Wizards
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