Bron has spent his entire life playing this game and its all he knows as far as a full time occupation. I'm sure it's harder to let go than it even appears from the surface...
I'm just not sure that it's worth it to keep coming back for more, when you can't make it thru a season uninjured anymore. Take away the aberration of 2020, in 4 of his 5 Laker seasons he hasn't played 60 games, and that's going to continue this year with his latest injury...
His first 15 years he played on average 77 games/year, and only once played fewer than 70 games, and that was 69 in 2015...
His 5 years as a Laker, he's averaging 57 games/year, only played in 70 just once in that '20 season (played the equivalent of 77 in the shortened season), and has been under 60 all the other 4 years. 20 games fewer than his pre-Laker career, he's playing 20 fewer games/year as a Laker...
It's hard to watch any great player decline, it's like when Manning and Brees were approaching the end for me. This compilation of injuries, I know Bron thinks every time he rehabs he has another title run in him, but his body is telling him otherwise. He doesn't have the ability to be a Top 2 guy on his team anymore without these injuries. He could probably be a role player and play in more games and be less hurt, but he's never been that, I don't think he'd even know how to be a sub-20ppg guy with a significantly diminished role...
It's just hard to watch. Quite possibly the most durable 15-year career ever if his career ended in '18. It didn't though, and watching this decline is tough...
I hope he gets well quickly but I'd just as soon have him hang it up for good, there's almost no chance he has at another title given he's always hurt nowadays, and this late career injury-riddled Lakers tenure is reason for some to downplay his pre-Laker career...
It's just time to go and he keeps playing, the game is gonna force him out via a real career-ending injury.....shyt is hard to watch...
