Kobe Bryant 'absolutely' Believes Lakers Will Be Playoff Team This Season

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant believes that his team will "absolutely" make the playoffs this season in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. The Lakers won just 21 games last year and missed the postseason for the second straight year -- the first time that's happened since 1976. Bryant told Yahoo Sports Tuesday, "We have talented players in their respective positions. We have some really young players. How exactly will the pieces of the puzzle fit? We really don't know." A five-time champion, Bryant reiterated that this NBA season could be his last, but insisted he has not yet made a final decision.