He is also learning how to frame his own quiet opinion alongside Bryant’s bombast.
Baxter Holmes of ESPN LA recently wrote about a loss to the Denver Nuggets—one that featured a hail of missed shots by Bryant during crunch time. Lin’s summation of the misfires showed respect while also positing a possible remedy.
"He's a tough shot-taker and a tough shot-maker and he's a superstar and sometimes you've got to give him that freedom to go and be who he is and do what he does—and sometimes you've got to find a way to keep the flow and stuff," Lin said.
And then there are those times when it’s simply better to dump the ball off and let a legend go to work.
On Sunday night, the Lakers got just their fourth win in 17 tries, beating the Toronto Raptors in overtime, 129-122. Lin had trouble finding the bottom of the basket, shooting 3-of-11 from the field.
But Bryant went off for a triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 boards and became the first player in NBA history with 30,000 points and 6,000 assists.
For Laker fans, it was a rare bright moment during an abysmal season. For Lin, it was an invitation to a basketball clinic. Bryant’s brilliance was on full display—post-up moves, ripped down rebounds, pump-fakery, scissor-kicking jumpers and a sick crossover on Terrence Ross.
To Lin’s credit, he did more than observe, with three boards, three dimes and a couple timely steals. He was also waiting in the corner when Bryant fired him a pinpoint pass—Lin sailed it up and it rattled out… and then back in again.
The California-born Asian-American’s story is ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
