Column: Hopes and dreams for Lakers collide with realities in season opener

A Lakers opener that began slowly and soberly ended, in awfully appropriate fashion, with sadness.

Midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday, the best young Lakers hope in a season already devoid of much hope fell to the Staples Center floor with a loud pop.

Julius Randle, the Lakers’ first-round draft pick, had broken his right tibia on a driving layup through the Houston Rockets defense.

The Lakers not only lost the game, 108-90, but much, much more.

“It is heartbreaking, I saw the work he put in, his first game, he goes down,” said Lakers Coach Byron Scott. “He was kind of crying, I told him to say strong.”

Randle was wheeled away on a stretcher while the few remaining fans attempted to give him an ovation. It was hard to hear. It was hard to watch.

Besides Kobe Bryant, Randle was the only real reason these Lakers would be worth watching. He was their first first-round pick in seven years. He was a kid who could develop through this mess of a roster. He was potential buzz. He was true hope.

And now his leg was broken and that hope was gone before it even had a chance to breathe.

“It’s tough,” said Bryant. “It’s real tough.’’

This could be bad, people. This could be real bad.

If the Lakers’ performance in their opener is any indication, this is going to be a season that further tramples tradition, harshly tests the faithful, and elicits standing ovations for baskets that cut deficits to 11.

It was so bad, at some point the best Laker standing on the court was their 53-year-old coach, and the best Los Angeles athlete roaming the building was Yasiel Puig.

It was so bad, even the Kiss Cam operator committed a turnover, failing to put the baseline-sitting couple of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian on the big screen for a smooch.

It was so bad, it has taken this column several paragraphs to even mention that this was Bryant’s first game in 315 days, perhaps because on this team, even the most inspirational of comeback attempts could be rendered irrelevant.

Beginning his two-year farewell tour, the 36-year-old Bryant was clearly slower and more grounded, but he was still intense enough to show glimpses of the old Kobe, with 19 points on 17 shots. He can’t drive through traffic as he once did, he doesn’t have the same speed or hops, and his defense isn’t as relentless, but he is still intense and athletic enough to summon some moments.

“I’m coming off an Achilles injury and I’m old as ...,” said Bryant, shaking his head and later adding, “From an emotional standpoint, you have to let go.’’

One of those moments occurred with 7:07 left in the game, when Bryant harassed former Laker Dwight Howard into throwing an elbow in his face, leading to jawing between the two players that has been two years in the making.

Bryant apparently began shouting, “Soft” to Howard, who was smiling and shouting back. Bryant had that opinion of Howard when they played together two seasons ago, and Howard knew it, leading Superman to cower under his cape and scoot off to the safe climes of Houston.

The argument ended with fans chanting, “Ko-be, Ko-be” while continuing the booing and jeering of Howard that had been taking place throughout the game. It was great theater, the night’s only theater.

Said a stern Scott: “They don’t like each other.’’

Said a smiling Bryant: “He’s a teddy bear, you can’t help but like him.’’

The Lakers fans backed Bryant and their beloved team throughout — there were barely any boos for anyone other than Howard — but it will require all the Lakers’ fans strength to continue cheering for the fantasy while fighting back the truth.

They chanted, “M-V-P’’ when Bryant stood at the foul line, yet they have to be wondering…

“Did the Lakers really have to sell out their title hopes for at least the next two seasons by giving him $48.5 million? The Lakers talked of loyalty to the player, but what about loyalty to the fans?”

They stood and cheered for the debut of Scott while wearing T-shirts with his name on the back and “Back4More’’ on the front, yet they had to be thinking…

“Now we see why Carmelo Anthony wanted no part of this mess.’’

They cheered Jeremy Lin through a dreadful one-for-five night, they cheered rookie Jordan Clarkson’s one shot — a three-pointer — like it was as game-winner, they chanted “Dee-fense” even as the team was getting the “Steam-Rolled,’’ but they had to be pondering…

“It’s obvious why Pau Gasol took less money to go to Chicago.’’

On a night that served as a prolonged indictment of Lakers management, the other stand-up veteran besides Bryant was Lakers boss Jeanie Buss, who sat up in her usual first-row-behind-courtside seat and greeted fans and cynics alike. She didn’t shy away from tough questions or conciliatory hugs. She even did a national television interview between quarters. Say this much for the late Jerry Buss’ daughter, she is not shying away from the heat.

This is the same Buss who publicly stood up for Bryant recently after he was derided by anonymous sources in a story that detailed how nobody wants to play with him. It is true that some free agents, Howard in particular, have chafed at the idea of playing next to the intense Bryant. But that’s not why these Lakers are so bad. In the end, players always follow the money, and because of their huge commitment to Bryant, the Lakers just don’t have the right kind of money.

The team is betting on Bryant being entertaining enough to keep fans interested for the next two seasons.

If Tuesday is any indication, they are going to lose that bet, and lose it big.

“That was a good test for us. Now we know we’re still a ways away,” said Scott afterward.

A failed test, and a long, long ways away.