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Kobe Bryant could have gotten some low-risk, high-profile minutes in the All-Star game. But he sat out, because he's focused on winning another championship. A few days before the All-Star game, he was interviewed about whether or not he would play and he said this:
"I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to run through a wall just to run through a wall," he said. "If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't."
I hate the Lakers, and I hate Phil Jackson. But I have to give them credit for what they do well, which is focus on winning championships. If Manu had been playing for the Lakers and pulled the he did last summer, there would be no question of re-signing him. Because he'd already be gone.
This isn't a negotiating tool for Manu. I have zero doubt that he is actually planning on playing again this summer - which means that winning an NBA le isn't the most important thing to him. And you know what boys and girls? You don't win championships with players who aren't single-mindedly dedicated to it. All the talent in the world won't overcome that.
