Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is favored to win the MVP in the 2016 All-Star Game. There is just one problem: Bryant doesn't want to win the award.
All Bryant wants to do is play for a total of 10 minutes and then just sit back and enjoy the his final All-Star appearance. Bryant wants to simply savor the experience and not gun for the MVP award. His Western Conference teammates, on the other hand, want Bryant to earn MVP honors.
New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis is planning on passing to Bryant at every opportunity and wants the Lakers star to score 50 points in the game. And Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is no different.
Curry, like Davis, wants Bryant to score a lot on Sunday and be in contention for the MVP award. He even apparently told Bryant that he has "a lot of assists" for him. But this didn't please Bryant, who doesn't want Curry to change his own game just to benefit the Lakers star.
From Mark Medina of the LA Daily News:
Yet, Bryant did not sound thrilled on the idea that his Western Conference teammates could hep him. Bryant reported dismissively questioning Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry after the NBA’s reigning MVP told him, “I have a lot of assists for you.”
“I said, ‘No. What are you doing? You’re a shooter. You grew up watching me. What the hell are you talking about that you want to pass me the ball at an All-Star game. Are you crazy?”
Bryant may just be deflecting but it also sounds like he truly doesn't want others to change how they play so it will benefit him.
This is Bryant's last All-Star Game, so he clearly doesn't want the experience to be manufactured in any way. Bryant wants to go out the way he wants to go out and his teammates will just have to deal with it, which means if it was up to Bryant, a fifth All-Star MVP may not be in his future.