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While Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry looks forward to more record-breaking exploits on the horizon, the sun is setting rapidly on Los Angeles Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant.
As a study in contrasting fortunes, it doesn’t get much starker than the chasm that separated Curry and the Golden State Warriors as they romped past Bryant and the hapless Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old reigning NBA MVP Curry was his usual bewitching self in a 111-77 blowout, scoring 24 points as Golden State entered the record books to seal the longest unbeaten start to a season in history at 16-0.
But while Curry and his teammates basked in the well-earned plaudits after another stylish display, Bryant was left reflecting on a poor personal showing that underscored the 37-year-old’s rapid decline.
Tuesday night represented the worst shooting performance of Bryant’s career, with one-of-14 from the field, including one-of-7 from three-point range.
Bryant finished with a mere four points, his litany of missed attempts, including three airballs that drew gleeful cheers from the Warriors crowd.
The raw numbers of Bryant’s 2015-16 campaign tell the story.
So far this season his field goal average is 31.1 per cent, the lowest of his career.
Bryant, seen laughing and congratulating Warriors interim coach and former Lakers teammate Luke Walton after the match, admitted he was unhappy with his form but said the Lakers’ problems run deeper than him.
“It’s been tough. I just try to relax. Just got to stay calm in the eye of the storm,” Bryant said.
The Lakers superstar has also played 12 straight games scoring less than 25 points while averaging under 50 per cent, the longest run of poor form in his career.
“My shooting will be better. I could’ve scored 80 tonight. It wouldn’t have made a damn difference. We just have bigger problems,” Bryant said after Tuesday’s loss.
“I could be out there averaging 35 points a game. We’d be what, 3-11? We’ve got to figure out how to play systematically in a position that’s going to keep us in ball games.”
Lakers head coach Byron Scott admitted Bryant had been “struggling” against the Warriors but insisted: “I got faith in Kobe that he’ll be OK.”
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