EL SEGUNDO – Kobe Bryant’s first day as a former Laker was also the first day that D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle no longer had to operate in Bryant’s powerful orbit.
The next regular-season game is six months away, but the Lakers are, for now, their team.
“You didn’t know what a lot of people were capable of because of the retirement (tour),” Russell said. “But next year you’ll get an idea of what everybody’s capable of, coaches, players, everybody.”
The Lakers season ended Wednesday with a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz in which Bryant finished his career with a storybook flourish, scoring 60 points – albeit on 50 shots.