Kobe: Deferring to rookies 'difficult,' but necessary

A leopard can't change its spots, but what about a black mamba?

While the past 18 years of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise have belonged to Kobe Bryant, the future belongs to its rookies, and following the Lakers' beatdown at the hands of the Sacramento Kings, Bryant knows he needs to make sacrifices for the team's future.

Asked about taking over games when the Lakers' young roster is struggling, Bryant told ESPN's Baxter Holmes, "Can't do it. Got to let them develop."

Taking his hand off the throttle, however, is never easy for Bryant - especially on a night when Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell combined for 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and five turnovers.

But it's for the best, says Bryant.

"It's difficult," Bryant said. "But it has to be done."

For his standards, Bryant had a relatively modest game in terms of using possessions: The 37-year-old took 12 shots in 22 minutes, which translates to a usage rate of 29.2 percent. That's still high, but it's down from last year's astronomical mark of 34.9.

Instead of shooting at will and dominating the ball, Bryant was far more open to sharing the rock Friday. After passing just 15 times against 40 touches in Wednesday's season opener, Bryant passed 21 times on 39 touches against the Kings.

Bryant has still finished 32.2 percent of the Lakers' possessions through two games, but he's at least acknowledging the need to defer.

Deferring, however, won't necessarily translate to more wins this season. The Lakers lost by 16 points on Friday and conceded 132 points to the Kings, including 74 by halftime. But with another trip to the lottery likely on the horizon in Los Angeles, Bryant is looking ahead on behalf of his team.

"I'm really wanting to let the young guys, especially D'Angelo, let him call the game," Bryant said. "Let him call the game. Let him organize the game. Let him read the game. Let him read the flow. Let him make those decisions.

"Which is part of me taking a step back, which needs to be done. You have to let the young guys make those reads and you have to be able to help them and support them with those reads."