Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant & Julius Randle: Los Angeles Lakers Stars Injured & Retiring Leaving Rookie With Key To NBA City?

The Los Angeles Lakers are perhaps the most decorated franchise in the entire NBA, but could both Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant be heading for retirement any day now, leaving room for their rookie Julius Randle to step up to the plate? Their top-ten pick is seen as a top prospect, but they were hoping he could develop under the veteran leadership, and coach Byron Scott. However, some devastating Lakers news might of changed that. Nash is out for the season and closing in on an official retirement date, while Kobe has hinted his isn't far away; so could the rookie Randle be handed the keys to the Lakers' basketball city?

Nash has faced injury after injury, but yesterday the Lakers revealed that he will miss the entire 2014-15 season with nerve damage in his back. The veteran guard is all but done in the NBA, and rumours are suggesting that he could announce his retirement in the coming days. Kobe has suffered with injuries, but the general consensus is he wants to prove a point before calling time on his career, but how long will he remain?

It's clear that Randle will have a big part to play from the get-go, but Scott believes he has the right tools to succeed. He explained: "I don't think the kid has really ever had to play hard & I know he hasn't ever had to work as hard as he's had to this year. I still expect him to work harder but each game he seems to get a little bit better & that's the progression that you want & we all tend to forget that he's 19... so you've got to give him a little slack at times, even though I don't, I should I guess."

Can Randle step up to the plate and deliver the home-run performances the Lakers so desperately need, and how should they handle the Kobe-and-Nash retirement saga?