Anyone paying attention to the wasteland that is the Los Angeles Lakers season is struck by the surreal dichotomy of it all.
At the same time the franchise with the most wins in NBA history celebrates superstar Kobe Bryant's farewell tour, it is suffering through the most pathetic stretch of its 68-year existence.
Sadly, the miserable season has much to do with the “celebration”. The ageing and ineffective Bryant remains the focal point of the team, taking more shots than anyone, including the big ones at the end of games, while converting at a career low rate.
The 37 year old is making 34.9 per cent of his field goal attempts, the worst among the team’s regular players and 10 percentage points below his career average.
As the NBA breaks for their all-star game, the Lakers are 11-44, the second-worst mark in the league.
At that .200 pace, Los Angeles will set a franchise record for futility, breaking the one they set last season of 21-61 sheet (.256).
It is a bizarre scene and especially on the road, where the Lakers are 5-26.
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As Bryant visits each arena for the last time, host teams bear gifts and offer video tributes.
Fans respectfully cheer.
Then Bryant goes out and shoots his young, disoriented team down the drain.
Two lousy seasons proceeding this one brought the Lakers two high lottery draft picks in forward Julius Randle (No 7 overall in 2014) and point guard D’Angelo Russell (No 2 in 2015).
But coach Byron Scott is an old-school disciple who prefers bringing young players along slowly.
Unlike many high draft picks who are turned loose to learn on the job for low-level teams, Randle and Russell have been in and out of the starting line up.
So, even as Bryant fades away, there is no ceding of his control.
Apparently, Generation Next is a low priority.
Whose fault is it that Kobe’s twilight years are spent in irrelevancy?
Some blame the Lakers for extending Bryant’s contract two years ago for a whopping US$48 million (Dh176.3m), which squeezed their salary cap space.
And when the Lakers pursued premium free agents, such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Paul George, Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge, the team came up empty.
They could not even keep Dwight Howard after his one year with Los Angeles in 2012/13.
Critics have blamed Bryant, citing his unwillingness to share the spotlight.
They say he scares away help.
In the meantime, Bryant says he is genuinely appreciative of the tributes but laments the hard fall the team has taken over the past three, losing seasons.
“We stink, that’s tough,” he told reporters.
Nothing points to a change, either.
After Bryant helped rally the Lakers to a lead recently against the Indiana Pacers, he missed his final five shots, including a ridiculous 30 footer, in the final two minutes, and Los Angeles were beaten once again.
“Sometimes you live and die with it,” Scott told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m willing to do that with him.”
Dying, then, it is.
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