Bryant Makes Los Angeles Lakers Return

Thomas Bryant, who hails from Rochester, New York, started his professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2017. He spent a year there in total before moving on to pastures new. But, after a four-year stint with the Washington Wizards, the center has decided that a return to where it all began is the right move.

It’s fair to say that Bryant, 24, is a man who wants to make the decisions that are best for his career. And while he could have chosen to stay on with the Wizards, the team he has been with for the past four seasons, he sought out an opportunity where he’s going to have a better chance to be a regular starter. And it just so happened that this was with the Lakers, where Bryant made his NBA bow five years ago.

When Bryant departed from the Lakers to take up the challenge that lay ahead with the Wizards, he’s done so with the intention of making his mark and becoming an NBA star. After fifteen appearances in LA, the fact that he started 53 out of 72 games for his new team said it all, and things were looking great. However, as so often is the case, injuries come along, and they ruin progress a player is making, and unfortunately, it happened to Bryant in 2021.

During the season, Bryant tore his ACL, one of the most serious injuries a sports star can incur. But, he fought hard to come back, and when he did this season, he was making 7.4 point averages. But, his progress had stalled, and most of the good work Bryant was doing was coming off of the bench, something the center wasn’t onboard with as his career began to stutter.

So, you could say that the opportunity to head back to LA and play for the Lakers came at the right time. He’s got a point to prove there, after only making fifteen appearances. And, with his chances of starting increased, he will likely be able to hit the top of his game in no time and show everyone what he’s all about.

It’s a wise decision that Bryant has made because he’s done so for the good of his career, but it’s not going to be an easy ride. He’s not going to return to the Lakers fold and waltz into the starting lineup. Instead, the player will have to earn the right to play. But he's more than capable of doing so.

And the Lakers have a plan which includes their returnee, which will put him in a great position. The idea is for Bryant, who stands at 6’10, to force his way into the team, allowing Anthony Davis, the All-Star, to move into power forward. It'd result in the Lakers having a significant physical presence in their front court for the new campaign, that's for sure, which could prove to be a difference-maker.