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Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant praised Filipino-American rookie Jordan Clarkson during their game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant, who was watching a game live for the first time since undergoing a season-ending shoulder surgery, saw firsthand how Clarkson has improved over the course of his rookie year.
“He looks great,” Bryant said of Clarkson during an interview with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. “(He is) playing with a lot of poise.”
Clarkson recently scored a career-high 25 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Against Dallas, he tallied 15 points with six rebounds and five assists in a little over 35 minutes of playing time.
“(He is) reading the defense well. For him, it is just playing and getting better. Again, footwork, recognizing defensive packages,” Bryant said.
The Lakers have won only 16 games this season against 46 losses, and the development of Clarkson is one of the bright spots in a season that is so few of them.
Bryant said he is planning to work with Clarkson and another Lakers rookie, Julius Randle, in the summer. Randle, the seventh pick in the 2014 Draft, suffered a leg injury in their very first game of the season and missed the entire year.
This story was republished with permission from ABS-CBNNews.com.
Photo: Mark Schierbecker/Wiki
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