Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Bryant puts offseason criticism of Lakers behind him
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAYEL SEGUNDO, Calif. — There were no flip-flops from Kobe Bryant on Monday, and no hard feelings from the teammates he criticized during the offseason.
At the Los Angeles Lakers' media day, the first time all the players and coaches had gathered since Bryant made offseason headlines about wanting to be traded because the Lakers didn't have enough good players and lacked the willingness in the front office to make improvements to the team, it was all happy talk.
"I want to bring a title back to Los Angeles," Bryant said. "That's priority No. 1."
Bryant declined to show any frustration Monday about the team's inability to pull off a major deal in the offseason. And he said his trade demands are a thing of the past.
"When the season starts, it's not my place to say, 'Here's what we need to do here, here's what we need to do there,' " he said. "That's not my job. My job is to come out on the floor and help us win ballgames."
Bryant said he regretted the way things occurred in the offseason after the Lakers lost 27 of their last 43 games and finished 42-40, then lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns.
"I was frustrated, so I blew up," he said.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he doesn't think Bryant has caused irreparable damage to the team's chemistry. "That (Bryant's criticism) was said back in June," Jackson said. "Now here we are in October."
Jackson, entering the final season of a three-year contract, said he asked some players if they thought Bryant's comments needed to be addressed as a team. They said no.
"They seem perfectly at ease with him," Jackson said.
Center Andrew Bynum, the main player singled out in criticism by Bryant, shrugged off any hurt feelings.
"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Bynum said.
Jackson and Bryant would have preferred to open camp with an additional veteran star, perhaps Kevin Garnett or Jermaine O'Neal. But they are pleased with the return of veteran guard Derek Fisher, who won three NBA titles playing in a Lakers uniform with Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Fisher, who played two seasons in Golden State and one in Utah since leaving the Lakers, hopes to take a leadership role on this team. In that regard, he said, he needs Bryant's input. "I need to know what he thinks about this team, about the personnel, if I'm going to provide some leadership," Fisher said.
The Lakers' second-best player, forward Lamar Odom, said he doesn't think there will be a chemistry problem this season. "Not at all," he said. "Being a Laker, you're on center stage. Everybody knows the importance of giving maximum effort.
"Of course, if there was a problem, I'd lie to you."
Kwame Brown Arrested In Valdosta
WALB: An NBA player was arrested in Valdosta over the weekend. Twenty-five-year-old Kwame Brown, a power forward with the LA Lakers is charged with disorderly conduct and interference of a law enforcement officer.Police say Brown was the passenger in a car driven by 23-year-old Charles Edward Warren, Junior.
They were pulled over at the intersection of East Hill Avenue and North Patterson Street around 2:00 Saturday morning.
Warren was driving the wrong way down a one way street. Investigators say Warren was drunk and driving on a suspended license.
They say Brown was arrested when he got out of control during the investigation. “He would have been interfering with the investigation the officer was trying to conduct at that time,” says Lt. Bobbi McGraw with the Valdosta Police.
Both Brown and Warren are originally from Brunswick. They are out on bond.
A spokesperson for the Lakers say Brown showed up on time for their media day this morning and no punishment has been handed down from team officials.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
