Kobe Bryant rupturing his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors has brought back the amnesty conversations that Mark Cuban sparked not too long ago1. As to how the Lakers should handle their new Kobe conundrum, they would be foolish not to amnesty Kobe now; they just have to do it the right way.
The Lakers are on the hook for 30+million dollars paid to the order of Kobe Bryant next season whether he plays or not. I’m sure a chunk of it is insured, but the Lakers should get themselves something for the money they are wasting. That is why I propose the Lakers make Kobe Bryant the first “player-coach” since Dave Cowen in 19792.
By making Kobe or even offering Kobe the position of player-coach the Lakers are keeping Kobe Bryant in the Laker show that they are attempting to keep Kobe in the fold even as they amnesty him. That will prevent the Lakers organization from having to face the ire of the Kobe Bryant faithful. Additionally, if Kobe accepts, it would prevent them from having to face the fury of a scorned Kobe Bryant.
The way the amnesty works, the Lakers could amnesty Kobe ASAP and then they would be unable to add him to their roster for a year. This is important because 10-12 months seems a lot more likely as the timetable for Bryant’s return than the 6 -9 that people are speaking of now3. The Lakers could put Phil Jackson in the front office advisory position that he has always wanted created for him and rehire Brian Shaw as Kobe’s head assistant/ heir apparent when Kobe returns to the court.
Such a scenario would serve the Lakers well with the knowledge of the not-so-secret secret, which Stephen A. Smith confirmed early today, that Dwight Howard may want the Lakers to ouster Mike D’antoni prior to him signing with the Lakers long-term.
Who would have ever thought that Kobe Bryant rupturing his Achilles would ever work out in the Lakers favor? Damn those bastards always get so lucky!