Kobe Bryant knows what everyone is thinking.
"I'm just an old, average player," he said, his voice coated in sarcasm as he spoke to reporters Tuesday.
Bryant's back, ready or not. This will be the 20th NBA season for a 37-year-old with a reduced role, if you believe him.
On one hand, he says, this game is for the kids now, cognizant that 19-year-old D'Angelo Russell and 23-year-old Jordan Clarkson are the Lakers' backcourt of the future. On the other hand, he gets rankled by meaningless player rankings, ESPN drawing a frown and more sarcasm from Bryant after calling him the NBA's 93rd-best player this season.