Kobe Bryant Discusses His Future with the Lakers
March 5, 2010 – 9:00 am by Chris FedorWhen it comes to NBA free agency this off-season, the names that may be available are top-flight. Many people talk about Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as the big three. However, one name that doesn’t often get brought up is Kobe Bryant. Kobe has a player option in his contract and while the two sides have been working on a three-year extension for a little while now, it’s something to think about since they haven’t gotten anything done as of yet. While it’s something that could be a possibility, the odds of Kobe leaving L.A. are not great. He has an excellent team around him, the Lakers are the best team in the Western Conference and one of the best in the NBA, and Bryant has made it perfectly clear that it’s all about winning championships. Los Angeles is the place that gives him the best chance to do that right now and I’m pretty certain the Black Mamba understands that as well.
Kobe Bryant joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about dealing with a multitude of injuries this season, who’s the best team the Lakers have played this year, whether or not he would leave Los Angeles just to face a new challenge in his career, and what advice he would give to LeBron James in free agency.
On when was the last time he was completely healthy:
“I was like 17. Once you come into the NBA and you start playing these 82 game seasons, it’s all downhill from there.”
On how often his finger hurts:
“Every time I catch a ball it hurts. (Host: Are you trying to teach yourself how to catch a ball without it hurting?) I just pad it. I pad it so when I catch it it just kinda absorbs the pain.”
On the best team that he has seen this year:
“Best team I’ve seen this year? It’s gotta be Cleveland or Denver. Those are the two teams that we’ve faced this season that have given us problems. (Host: What about the Mavericks as of late?) They played us really, really well. We just played them recently obviously and they play very well against us. That’s still kinda in the starting process of them adjusting to having those two pieces. Caron (Butler) didn’t play when we played them but they’ve been on a roll since the trade.”
On whether or not the Lakers paid attention to the moves around the NBA when they were happening:
“No. We really don’t pay much attention to it. Our philosophy is that if we’re going to be champions we need to take on all comers. We want to play teams at their best. That’s kinda the mentality that you have to have.”
On LeBron’s decision to give up number 23 in honor of Michael Jordan:
“I would never disagree with something like that. I’ve heard his comments about it and how he feels about that kind of tribute, talking about Magic and some of the other great players that have come before him as well. You can never disagree with that after everything he has done for the game.”
On why he decided to change his number:
“I just felt like it. I just felt like starting a chapter of winning a championship and winning three in a row. Now it’s like okay, you’re starting from scratch now because we were rebuilding. For me it was about opening up a new chapter and saying okay, you’re gonna take on this new challenge, let’s do it again and let’s start anew.”
On whether or not he would want to leave Los Angeles just to take on a new challenge:
“No. No. No. In this situation the challenge is winning championships. (Host: Do you have to get to six championships?) That has nothing to do with it. For me it’s about winning as many as you can. I’ve been fortunate enough to win four and every year it’s a new challenge to try to win that one.”
On his advice for LeBron James:
“Just do whatever makes you happy. That’s what I’ve told him. Him, D-Wade and all those guys. You can’t make everybody happy and you can’t please everybody. You just gotta do what’s best for you and your family. I’m sure he will.”
Listen to Kobe Bryant on the Dan Patrick Show here
Tags: Dan Patrick Show, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Western Conference
