In Good Hands

- Akshay Manwani

Say this slowly. Kobe Bryant. Tim Duncan. Kevin Garnett. Ray Allen. Names that roll out of the mouth while eliciting respect, nostalgia and awe in equal measure. Four players,who carried the NBA on their broad, athletic shoulders in the post-Michael Jordan era. 12 of the last 18 Larry O’Brien trophies have gone to either one of Bryant, Duncan, Garnett and Allen. Four future Hall-of-Famers, who have their own legions of die-hard fans spread across all corners of the globe. Players, who served as barrier-breakers, record-setters and perfect ambassadors of the game for an entire generation, or two, of NBA fans.

You would think then that their individual retirement announcements over the last seven months would rob the game of some of its sheen, its flair, its mojo.

BUT TELL THAT TO Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard or James Harden. These players have kick-started the 2016-17 season with a bang. They haven’t allowed for fan enthusiasm to wane in the aftermath of the high-profile retirements. ‘Not on my watch,’ has been their collective motto. Instead, it’s been all action, record-breaking stats and adjusting on the fly to their new roles and the higher expectations from them in the new season.