In the midst of recent speculation, including that of Coach Jackson, that he would finish his NBA career elsewhere, Bryant states that he doesn't plan to play for anyone but the Lakers.
A lot of players want to go to different teams or contend to win championships. I'm a Laker, man. I'm a Laker for better or worse…How many times do I have to say that? Dude, I bleed purple and gold.
I know Kobe's a competitor and he's going to play as many minutes as you want him to play. I'm also a competitor, so I want to win and I know having him on the court gives me the best opportunity to win.
I think first and foremost, he's on the last year of a deal. There have been no discussions about anything going forward. I don't think there will be. A year from now, if there's something different to discuss, then it will be discussed then. I talk to him from time to time … and he is recovering. He's running. He's getting movement and strength in the shoulder. We expect a full recovery, but yeah, he's much closer to the end than to the beginning.
He's not afraid of the moment, You've got to like to that.
I was trying to get myself in a good position to rebound the ball and Wayne got space to shoot it.
I'm at a stage personally where I have confidence that he's going to step up and not be intimidated by the moment.
In a brief statement, Buss reflects on Hundley's contributions to the Lakers.
Hot Rod was a colorful player and man, and an important member of the early Lakers teams in the 1960s and therefore the history of our franchise. We're saddened by his passing, and send our condolences to his family.
Bryant becomes the Laker's franchise leading scorer in a regular season match against the Memphis Grizzlies, passing Jerry West. The achievement came on a dunk in the 3rd quarter. Bryant has 44 points for the night, but the Lakers end up losing the match.
It's a great honor to say the least [because] of the great players that have played here and the tradition we have. [West] taught me so much when I was 17 years old. He showed me a lot about the game, the jump shot and spin moves and all the others. Even though it's me passing him in the record books, it's still us, and it's still Magic and all the other great players.
It was the luckiest shot I've ever taken, by far. It felt good, [but] I just couldn't believe this ball might go in on this shot.
In the duel between the two elite shooting guards, Bryant puts up 33 points and 7 rebounds and Wade drops 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists.
I'm happy to be here. My guys and I — we have such a tight bond. Business and basketball sometimes can cloud things, but when you get here in your element and you're around your teammates and just having a good time with them and thinking about them and not about the business of the game, that's when it becomes fun.
Bryant scores 34 points in a victory against the Sacramento Kings. As a result, Lakers claim the 7th seed. Bryant also wraps up his second scoring title, averaging 31.6 points this season.
It's always a sense of accomplishment because there are so many great basketball players in the NBA. It's always fun to be on the top of that list.
It's a tremendous honor for me to be in the same (category) with those guys. The coolest thing about it is this younger generation gets a chance to learn about Elgin Baylor, gets a chance to learn about Wilt Chamberlain and some of the things that they've accomplished, so that the legacy will continue to live on.