![Kobe would be perfect as a mentor. [Image via Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/10/19/660x290/b_502x220x82/kobe-would-be-perfect-as-a-mentor-image-via-keith-allisonwikimedia-commons_1646015.jpg "Kobe would be perfect as a mentor. [Image via Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons]")
Kobe Bryant has reached out to Gordon Hayward on social media to ask him to be strong. I thought that it was a good thing of Kobe to do, but I think that Kobe would actually be the perfect mentor for Hayward. They are not the same player, but they could be. I have no idea how much Kobe wants to do in his retirement that relates to training someone to play basketball, but I can imagine that he would be very good at teaching this guy how to play the game.
What could Kobe do?
Kobe Bryant could teach Hayward how to use his game to his advantage in terms of taking over when necessary.
I know that that will be hard when Hayward plays with Kyrie Irving, but I think that it would be interesting to see Hayward come on the floor, take the ball from Irving, and let him know that he is the boss. Irving is a great player, but I think that Hayward will do the work that is needed to get much much better than he already is. I know that they are both good, but I think that Hayward could be unreal on offense and defense. I do not think that Irving will change his game, and I do not think he is going to play a lot of defense.
Adding to the game
Gordon Hayward needs to learn how to add to his game in a tangible way because he has to improve enough to make sure that he can get into any part of the game and make a difference.
You might not have thought of it this way, but have you noticed that Kyrie Irving is the exact same player he was when he started? Again, he made the biggest shot in Cleveland history. He did a lot for the Cavaliers, but he has not changed that much. Gordon Hayward looks completely different, plays completely different, and is almost a completely different human being than he was when he lost two NCAA title games.
That is the kind of development that the Celtics need. That is the kind of development that Hayward needs.
But it is the Celtics!
We live in an era where people just do not care who they are playing with or talking to. I think that Kobe probably respects the Celtics just as much as I do. I love the Lakers, but the Celtics are a very good franchise.
Why would I disrespect them in any way, and why would Kobe withhold his knowledge from a guy who plays for them? If Kobe wants to help the Lakers, he can do that, too. It just makes much more sense for Kobe to do something for the game that will make it better. If he turned Gordon Hayward into the white Kobe, that would be an unreal thing to watch. You know you want to see that, and I want to see that, too. The Celtics need a white Kobe.
