NBA Playoffs 2011: Could This Be the Beginning of the End for Kobe Bryant?

2011年NBA季后赛：这会是科比结束的开始吗？

Does Kobe's future depend on the outcome of this years playoffs?

科比的未来会是今年的季后赛吗？

Hey Laker fans, before you throw me off a cliff, harass my family for the next 10 generations and make me join the witness protection program, let me explain.

I am not saying that Kobe is done; I am not saying that he and the Los Angeles Lakers can or will not win the NBA title this year.

They have been built to win for several years now and are capable or rolling over the other NBA playoff teams for a third straight year.

嘿，湖人球迷，在你们把我推向悬崖，骚扰我10代家庭并让我眼睁睁看着我的家人受害之前，让我来解释一下。

我并没有说科比已经结束了；我并没有说科比以及洛杉矶湖人队今年不能或者不会得到总冠军。

他们已经好几年都打得很不错了，而且现在他们有能力或许会打败NBA其他球队并赢得今年连续的第三冠。

They have assembled a great team, amazing talent and the five championships they have won since 1999, proving that they know how to dominate the league.

Laker nation, and it seems like the majority of NBA fans, expect nothing less than a title. They fully expect Phil Jackson to lead his team to yet another victory and ride off into the sunset following the victory parade.

NBA poster child Kobe Bryant should win his sixth championship and his third straight MVP award. Everything will go as planned, right?

他们是一支伟大的球队，有着惊人的天赋以及从1999年以来的五次总冠军经历，使得他们知道该怎么去统治联盟。

湖人球迷以及绝大多数的NBA球迷的期望无非是一个总冠军。他们非常希望杰克逊带领他的球队在赢得一次总冠军，这样可以让他带着胜利退役。

NBA的招牌球员科比也应该赢得他的第六个总冠军以及他连续三年总决赛MVP。一切都会顺利进行的，对吗？

So my question in all of this is: What will happen if Kobe Bryant and the Lakers fall short of the prize and do not win the NBA title this season?

This season has already been one of the most interesting for the Lakers in recent memory. They have had good streaks and they have had bad streaks. Just before the All-Star break, they lost three in a row, including one to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

所有关于这一切，我的问题是：如果科比以及湖人在半路上被淘汰而没有在今年赢得总冠军呢，又会怎么样呢？

本赛季是我记忆中湖人队近几年最有趣的一个赛季。他们既有连胜也有连败。在全明星赛之前，他们连败三场，其中还包括输给骑士的一场。

Will the Lakers three-peat, or will they fall short?

After the break, they went on a 17-1 tear. They then proceeded to lose five of their last seven games, with losses to the Jazz, Warriors and a frustrating win against the reserve players of the Spurs.

Are the Lakers really worried? They will just flip a switch for the playoffs and everything will be fine.

湖人是会三连冠，还是会功亏一篑？

在全明星赛之后，他们有过17-1的战绩。而这之后他们在最后七场中输掉了5场，输给了爵士，勇士以及险胜被雪藏了主力的马刺。

湖人真的会担心这些么？等他们转换到季后赛模式的时候一切都会好起来的。

Laker coach Phil Jackson offers some insight on that. In a recent interview with Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Jackson discussed the recent difficulties and said:

"Yeah, I'm concerned, very much so, you can't turn the switch on and off like that in basketball without having to face some kind of price.
"Your game doesn't just come back all of a sudden. If you had injuries and people out and there were some sustaining facts behind it . . . but there really aren't."

湖人主教练杰克逊给出了一些见解。在最近与洛杉矶时报的记者特纳谈到最近的困难的时候杰克逊说到：

“没错，我很担心，而且是非常担心，在篮球场上你不可能像开开关那样不费任何代价。

“比赛并没有突然一下就回来了。如果球队中有伤病有人不能打的这些因素在背后的话，我们的比赛真的没有回来。”

He went on to attribute the recent slide to his team having too many turnovers.

These inconsistencies could mean that the Lakers fall short of the Championship. Couple this with the fact that the other teams in the league have been building teams designed just to beat them, there is a real possibility that they could lose.

他把球队最近战绩的下滑归结于太多的失误。

这些欺负可能意味着湖人今年总冠军的功亏一篑。把这些和联盟中其他的一些球队都打败过他们的事实联系在一起的话，湖人还真的有可能今年拿不到总冠军。

So, what about Kobe?

那么，科比呢？

He is 32 years old. He has been in the league for 14 seasons. Although they were managed better this season, he has averaged nearly 39 minutes per game in the regular season and has played in extended playoff series during many of his seasons in the league.

事情不如湖人想的那么顺利。

所有球员都会碰到这些，不管球迷是否想要看到。

只有时间才能给我们答案。

PS:貌似有点迟了....

比赛还要一场一场的打的，等着明天看比赛...