How Lakers' Kobe Bryant has avoided any technicals his final season

The snarling side of Kobe Bryant has not just evaporated as he talks with reporters, waves to opposing crowds and greets opponents. Bryant has also shown his ier peace with officials.

So much that Bryant has not picked up a technical foul during the 2015-16 season. What has gotten into the Black Mamba after often spitting venom at referees over missed calls?

“It’s the new and improved Kobe,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said before Sunday’s game against Washington at Staples Center. “Once he aounced this was it, he’s been different. He’s been more at peace.”

In past years, Bryant often perfected the line between racking up technicals without reaching the NBA-maximum 16, which results in a one-game suspension.

Bryant eaed 16 technicals in the 2010-11 season. He came close in other seasons in 2001-02 (14), 2005-06 (15), 2006-07 (14), 2007-08 (15) and 2009-10 (14).

Don’t look now, but Bryant could end this season with the fewest technicals collected since his first three NBA seasons (1996-98). Bryant also did not have a technical in the 2013-14 campaign, though he only played six games before suffering a season-ending left knee injury.

“It can still happen,” Scott said, laughing.

Size matters

Roy Hibbert arrived in the land of Hollywood believing this would mark the ideal place to rewrite a more compelling sequel after a sour ending in Indiana. Instead, Hibbert had little to say about a season where he has netted a career-low in points (6.2) and anchored a defense that ranks 27th in points allowed (106.8) as the Lakers’ starting center.

“I honestly don’t know,” Hibbert said. “I can’t put a word on it or explain this season as well as my lack of success or the team.”

Instead, Scott spoke for him.

“His stats are down, but I’m not worried about the offensive part,” Scott said. “The biggest challenge for Roy is that most teams, if not every team, has an ability to go small. That really hurts him.”

The 7’2,” 270-pound Hibbert, who becomes a free agent this offseason, spent last summer losing about 15 pounds in hopes to adaptto the mode NBA. Though he said Hibbert “was one of the best defensive players in the game,” Scott singled out Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan as the NBA’s lone dominant big men in a league more centered on versatility.

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“I didn’t think he felt he would have to try to get there as often as he had to try to get there,” Scott said of Hibbert’s defensive rotations. “Then he does that, the backside help isn’t there most of the time. It’s been a big adjustment for him. I think he’s been frustrated throughout the season. But he’s professional, comes to work everyday and tries to encourage the guys.”

Injury update

Lakers rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. will sit out Monday’s game in Utah as part of the team’s plan to rest his sore right knee on back-to-backs. Lakers forward Ryan Kelly played on Sunday after missing the past three games with a sprained left wrist. Lakers forward Nick Young was inactive on Sunday because of a stomach bug, though he had been a healthy scratch for the previous seven games.