It seemed inevitable Kobe Bryant would treat Larry Nance Jr. harshly on the first day of training camp, a rite of passage every rookie experiences with the Lakers’ star as a way to measure his mental toughness.
After the Lakers selected Nance Jr. with the 27th pick out of the 2015 NBA Draft, his adjustment may go beyond seeing if he can establish a niche at the power forward position after excelling through four seasons at the University of Wyoming. In 2012, Nance Jr. made light of Bryant’s sexual assault case in Eagle, Colo. in 2003, charges that have since been dropped.