The Los Angeles Lakers have witnessed several generational talents in their team, like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others. The NBA has a lot of impressive talents playing the game but fans remember only a select few players after their retirement. They generally tend to forget the rest post their retirement. Similarly, the latest news about the return of a former Lakers player to the hardwood has caught the attention of NBA fans and reminded them of this former teammate of the late great Kobe Bryant. Following the news, fans flooded NBA Twitter with opinions about the news.

The Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. With 17 Championship titles, the LA side have the most number of NBA Championships along with the Boston Celtics.

Former Teammate of Kobe Bryant is set to return to the hardwood

According to a recent report from Bleacher Report, the former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Smush Parker could return to the hardwood, not as a player but as a game official. He played his last NBA season for the Miami Heat in 2007. Most Notably, the 41-year-old had represented the Lakers for two years between 2005-2006. Though his career lasted only for seven seasons, he consolidated a reputation as an impressive point guard for the Lakers under Phil Jackson.

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However, the fans reacting to the news swarmed in with varied opinions. While some sections of the fans trolled Parker for not being a star presence on the court in his career and many fans welcomed the move and demanded more ex-NBA and college stars as NBA referees. One user said, “We need more of this from retired players and former college hoopers. Get these ol heads off the court“. Following are some reactions from NBA Twitter.

Notably, Parker has represented prominent franchises like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.

Smush Parker on Kobe Bryant

Though Kobe Bryant emerged as one of the greatest leaders of the game by guiding the rookies to perfection. Smush Parker failed to impress Bryant during his two seasons with the Lakers. He once said, “He told me one day at practice — I tried to talk to him outside of basketball about football. And he looked at me in practice and was dead serious and said, ‘You can’t talk to me. You need more accolades under your belt before you come talk to me.”

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What do you make of Smush Parker’s decision? Let us know in the comments.