Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Kobe Bryant Taking Great Efforts To Remain Youthful, But Could End Up Being Traded

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have uncovered a fountain of youth with Kobe Bryant, but the All Star guard’s efforts to keep his body youthful may end up paying dividends for some other team.

Kobe has taken greater efforts to maintain his health on the court, taking extended time off and even trying some unusual steps to keep his body fresh. As ESPN reported, Kobe has made bone broth an important part of his diet and pregame routine.

“I’ve been doing the bone broth for a while now,” Bryant told ESPN. “It’s great — energy, inflammation. It’s great.”

Lakers head strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco said Kobe has made it a mission to keep his body in playing shape at an age when almost all other player have long since retired.

“When you make it the right way, you get the minerals and the exact building blocks of what makes up our joint surfaces,” DiFranceso said. “He’s recognized in the last few years, since sort of pointing him in the direction, of how important that will be.”

He continued, “It’s ultra, ultra important for [Bryant], maybe more so than the other guys, than a 22-year-old who has really pristine joint surfaces and can get away with it and maybe doesn’t need it right now.”

The efforts appear to be working, at least from a performance standpoint. Kobe is playing just as well as ever, and set a career high this week with 17 assists in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kobe had 10 assists by the end of the first half, adding seven more in the second set while also hitting on seven of 14 shots from the field (including three of six from behind the three-point arc).

But it may not be the Los Angeles Lakers that benefit from Kobe Bryant’s quest to stay youthful. With the team languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference and a massive rebuild on the horizon, sources close to the team have indicated that Kobe could be traded to kick start the process.

If Kobe Bryant is on the trade block, the Los Angeles Lakers could take aim at some other young superstars. Reports indicate the team is looking at landing Goran Dragic and could target Kevin Love, who may already want out of Cleveland.

[Image via ESPN]