Kobe Bryant did the pump fakes when he was playing with team against Denver just this month. These caused hearsays about the NBA superstar's declining basketball skills. Thus, he might be advised to retire from his basketball career soon.
According to Los Angeles Times, these pump fakes began when he was stuck with the ball during the game against Denver just recently. The source reported, "He had nowhere to go in the lane so he relied on an old trick to get himself out of a jam -- and possibly a defender in the air."
Kobe Bryant did pump fakes three times with the third time almost lost control of the ball. Charles Barkley, a Hall of Fame player, said in a phone interview, "Somebody asked me how I knew it was time to retire. I said because I was pump-faking."
On Kobe Bryant's pump-faking, he said, "So now I see Kobe and he's pump-faking because he's scared they are going to block his shot. That's what the pump-faking is. People are knocking your shot into the stands."
He added, "Kobe can't get open shots. He can't go around people to get layups. It's hard to make contested shots."
Bryant, now 37 years old and has been in a successful NBA career for 20 years, is now considered an "uneasy mix on a bad Lakers team with a 2-12 record."
The LA Times also mentioned that Bryant's shooting declined around 31.1 percent that led him in 122nd out of 122nd players for NBA stat-keeping with enough attempts this season. His shooting capacity is equal to damaging 19.5 percent from three-point range -- last out of 103 NBA stat qualifiers.
His trademark fly-through-the-air days are gone and he didn't even have a single dunk in this season. He is even unable to make half his shot in the game.
LA Lakers fans wanted to see their favorite NBA player who once scored 81 points against Toronto, 62 with Dallas and earned the league MVP award in 2008 and another NBA Finals MVP Awards for two years consecutive from 2009 to 2010.
Because of the peak of his NBA career, he made $25 million in the last year of his contract and part of a two-year with $48.5 million extension in 2013. That was the time before Kobe Bryant returned from his injury, a torn Achilles' tendon.
Perhaps, because of the severe injury he had in 2013, his basketball skills are declining and Lakers fans are seeing the results now. Before he had the injury, his scores and his career were stellar with 27.3 points, six assists, and 5.6 rebounds while playing a colossal 38.6 minutes a game at 34 years old.
Kobe Bryant once said with only one of 14 shots against Golden State, "My shooting will be better. We'll be better."
"Man, I don't want to see Kobe go out like this, looking this bad and not able to do what he once could do," said a retired guard who faced Bryant. "He doesn't have anything else to prove to anybody. He was one of the greatest. I know he's owed that $25 million, but he should just walk away now. He ain't got it anymore."
Barkley said, "To me, this is like a farewell tour. Just go and play 25 minutes a night and let the NBA fans say, 'Thank you for an amazing career.'"
However, the LA Lakers coach, Byron Scott, didn't think of reducing Kobe Bryant's role in the basketball team, a report on Bleacher Report stated.
"I haven't thought about reducing his role. I think his role is pretty defined for us right now. So is his minutes," Scott stated.