Kobe Bryant: 1998-1999 Season    

The Twisted:  For Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, the 98-99 season can be categorized as turbulent, chaotic, and twisted. Ultimately, it was just plain disappointing.

The Good News:  Kobe finally got the opportunity for which he'd been waiting. He started every game for the Lakers. With his flashes of brilliance and unstoppable moves were becoming more regular and more controlled, he averaged almost 38 minutes per game and brought his season averages up to 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists - once again, all improvements from the prior season. Many Lakers fans also looked upon the departure of Del Harris on February 24, 1999, as good news. Harris was a fine coach in many aspects of the game, but to many fans, he never did seem right for this team. Kurt Rambis took over on February 26 for the rest of the season.

The Best News:  The Los Angeles Lakers signed Kobe Bryant to a six-year contract extension on January 29, 1999. The contract was reportedly worth about $71 million dollars.

The Bad News:  The season was only 50 games long due to the lockout by the owners. The Lakers finished tied for fourth in the Western Conference with a 31-19 record. Jerry West decided to take a huge risk by bringing Dennis Rodman onto the team, signing him on February 23, 1999. About two months later, on April 15, the Lakers paid the taxman, so to speak, by waiving Rodman - something about chemistry and strange behavior. Surprise.

The Worse News:  Kobe's added playing time came at a steep price - gone was Nick Van Exel, traded during the season were Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell. Throw in a little Rice (as in Glen), and while Kobe was having his best season to date, the team was torn apart and tossed back together again.

The Worst News:  The Lakers regressed in the Playoffs, losing in the Conference Semifinal to the eventual NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. Agonizingly, the Spurs David Robinson and Tim Duncan made many more Lakers fans long to have Elden Campbell back in the lineup, or maybe - gasp! - even Dennis Rodman. Shaq simply could not guard them Robinson and Duncan. The Spurs took advantage of it, sweeping 4 games to none.

The Improvement:  Personally, Kobe had a much-improved Playoffs, averaging over 39 minutes, 19.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He once again showed that he was becoming a force in the NBA, a player that teams were going to have to try to control while also trying to stop Shaq. It was evident that the task of doing so was becoming increasing difficult. Kobe was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Lakers fans, disappointed again, still could see a winning future for this team, if, they thought, Rambis or someone else could just learn how to best utilize the talent.

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Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers

  Practice Tips by Kobe Bryant on MCSports

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