Kobe Bryant: ‘I Freaking Suck’

The Los Angeles Lakers are off to an ugly 0-3 start this season, and Kobe Bryant has looked pretty awful out there.

The Black Mamba knows it, too—he morbidly referred to his preseason ranking Sunday night, following a 103-93 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks, saying he’s now the 200th best player in the entire NBA.

Kobe has only made 16 of 51 shot attempts in three games, which includes a horrific 20.7 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Per the LA Daily News:

He still wore a towel around his waist so he could plant his feet in a bucket full of ice water by his locker. Once Bryant sat down, he offered a stoic expression on his face. And then once Bryant faced various questions about his 15-point performance on 3-of-15 shooting and 2-of-8 from 3-point range in 31 minutes, the Lakers’ 37-year-old star hardly minced words. […] “I’m the 200th best player in the league right now,” Bryant said. “I freaking suck.”

 

Bryant occasionally took digs at himself by indirectly referencing ESPN ranking him 93rd overall entering the 2015-16 season. But he usually laced his remarks with blatant sarcasm. This time, Bryant sounded totally serious after playing three games where he has averaged 17.33 points on a 31.3 percent clip and a 20.68 percent mark from 3-point range. […] “I just can’t make a shot,” Bryant said. “Just playing like [crap] right now.”

 

“I know he’s not happy with it. We talked a little bit,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “He’s disappointed in the way he’s shooting the ball.” […] Yet, Scott sounded more forgiving than Bryant. Scott brought up that Bryant is “trying to get that feel back again” after he missed the Lakers’ final three exhibition games because of a bruise in his left calf. Scott argued that opponents “still have to respect him out there no matter what” considering Bryant often attracts double teams. And Scott praised Bryant’s intentions.

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