Kobe Trying to Turn Randle’s Injury, Lakers’ Struggles into Bonding Experience

PHOENIX — Byron Scott told reporters Tuesday night that Julius Randle was in tears in a private room at Staples Center after breaking his leg in his very first NBA game. Scott elaborated Wednesday night, saying he was "basically holding him [Randle] and just listening to him cry."

You might view publicizing all that to be uncouth on Scott's part, making the kid look weak or committing some violation of the man code.   

Well, here's what Kobe Bryant told Randle about that:

"Get it out your system just like I did. Get it out of your system with a nice hard cry. Then it's time to go from there."

Crying? It's cool.

And it's funny how things can appear so completely one way and then surprise you.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a mess after two games, sage veteran Steve Nash and future hope Randle are out for the season within a week of each other, and Bryant is openly annoyed.

"Getting your butt kicked a little bit, the frustration boils over, naturally," Bryant said after the Lakers' 119-99 loss in Phoenix.

Just when you start to wonder, though, if Bryant will soon be reminiscing about the fun days he spent with Kwame Brown and Jumaine Jones and reflecting on Smush Parker and Chucky Atkins as winners because the current Lakers are so bad, Bryant leaves all of that out on the court.



Sitting in front of his locker, his feet in an ice bath and the knees in ice packs, and with his right shoulder getting its own wrap because it's already sore, Bryant refused to lose himself in the negativity.

Bryant and Nash will never become the greatest backcourt in NBA history, and of more immediate relevance, how is Bryant supposed to pass the Lakers' torch to Randle now that Randle is carrying that rod and those screws in his lower right leg?

It was actually Nash who throughout the Lakers' disastrous 2012-13 season tried to exp...