Kobe states that Lakers front office is "a mess"

[jeromechickenbone]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6856248?MSNHPHMA

Despite being a month into his off-season, Kobe Bryant remains a center of attention.

The Lakers star hit the interview circuit Tuesday to denounce recent reports about him and to voice his displeasure with the team's front office.
Bryant, speaking to 710 ESPN Radio in L.A., said that a report Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times claiming it was his insistence that drove Shaquille O'Neal out of town after the 2004 season made him "beyond furious."

"The real facts are that Dr. Buss requested a meeting with me during the '04 season long before I opted out of my contract," Bryant said on a blog post at his Web site, "and he told me he had already decided to not extend Shaq, as he was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss thought it was best for the Lakers to make a trade to get value for Shaq while they could."

The Times cited a Lakers "insider" for the information, a fact that doesn't sit well with Bryant.

"Now I hear this Lakers 'insider' said this and that, now I have serious trust issues," Bryant said Tuesday during an interview with AM 570 KLAC in L.A. "I have serious trust issues because they know I had nothing to do with that. They know that, Jerry Buss knows that because it came out of his own mouth."

Bryant said the team used him as a "scapegoat" for the O'Neal story.

"If you make decisions, stand up and stand in front of your decisions" he said. "Don't try to throw me under the bus for something I did not say, did not do."

When asked if he sensed disharmony in the Lakers' front office, Bryant said, "That place is a mess. It's a mess...

"I'm not 'dissing anybody. I want us — us — to get to a point where we're contending for titles."

Kobe also reiterated that he did not demand a trade if the Lakers weren't able to bring Jerry West back to Los Angeles, but he also does not see the use in staying on a roster that's not getting deeper.

"If we're not making any strides here to improve this team right now, to be aggressive in that nature," Bryant said on KLAC, "you know, then what's the point of having me here?"

Bryant was asked if his seemingly strained relationship with the Lakers front office was 'reparable.'

"I don't know," he said. "I got a headache. It's been the worst day. I want to be a Laker forever. I love this team. I love this city. My kids love it here. I woke up this morning training hard, ready for USA Basketball...despite all of this. I finish my training...all of a sudden, I pick up the paper and read this 'Laker insider' thing, and that just absolutely took it to another level."

Bryant had told the Times on Sunday that West, the former Lakers general manager, might be a solution to fix the team's current woes.

"My feeling on Jerry West is I trust him completely," Bryant said, according to the paper. "I don't want to get into people believing me to be bashing anybody. (Current GM Mitch Kupchak) is a great guy. All I can go by is what has happened with this team the last two years, and I know Jerry West is a guy who's great at what he does.

"He wants to win and he wants to win right now. I can roll with that, even if we don't have the complete turnaround we're hoping to have this summer. Just having him back in the nucleus will help."

West, the current GM of the Grizzlies, will complete his contract with Memphis on July 1, but Lakers officials refused comment to the Times on the subject.

Bryant stated in Sunday's Times report that his future with the team did not depend on West's return, despite an ESPN.com report that suggested otherwise.

"I would love for him to be a part of this," Bryant said, according to the Times. "But it's not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can."

After winning three straight titles from 2000-2002, the Lakers again made the Finals in 2004, but lost to the Pistons in five games. Shaquille O'Neal left after that season, and Los Angeles has not won a playoff series since.

Kupchak was a protégé of West's when the latter was still with the Lakers. The report said both Bryant and Kupchak remain close to West, who may opt to retire following the completion of his term in Memphis.

West reigned over the "Showtime"-era Lakers of the late '80s before resurrecting the franchise by drafting Bryant and acquiring O'Neal from the Orlando Magic in the span of a week in 1996.

[wcsoldier]

This may be the reason Buss was arrested on DUI  ...

[teecee]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

[GangstaBoogy]

Like I said, this off season is going to be intense. I just hope when the season starts Kobe is surrounded by better role players. Till then we just have to wait for everything to play itself out...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

LOL. WOW. Do yourself a favor and stop "hearing" things. I heard the interview this morning live, and it was nothing serious. Everything we already knew. LMFAO@"on the verge of tears".

[7even]

Tuesday somehow managed to differentiate itself from the tumultuous days of the holiday weekend, with the Lakers' cornerstone continuing to drop hints about what lies ahead by expressing increasingly deep dissatisfaction with upper management and providing a two-word answer when asked if the franchise was "on the clock" with the knowledge he could terminate his contract in two years. "For sure," Bryant said in a phone interview with The Times. Los Angeles Times

Bryant, who will be 29 in August, will leave $47.8 million on the table if he terminates his contract in 2009. Los Angeles Times

When asked for comment on the events of the day, among them Bryant's perceived threat to terminate his contract in 2009 as well as his radio interview, Lakers spokesman John Black said, "We're not going to respond." Los Angeles Times

Privately, Lakers officials were stunned and disappointed by Bryant, who has four years and $88.6 million left on his contract. Numerous team sources said that however irritated they were, trading him was not an option. Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant says he can no longer trust the Lakers front office after an insider report that he was responsible for chasing Shaquille O'Neal out of town, according to comments he made Tuesday afternoon on AM 570 KLAC in LA. BenMaller.com / May 29

Kobe Bryant said he chose to stay with the Lakers in the summer of 2004 with the understanding that the Lakers would aggressively pursue top players and remain committed to winning championships. Now, Bryant said he believes the Lakers misled him. The Lakers' public meltdown took another turn Tuesday when a seething Bryant called the team's front office "a mess," repeatedly said that he had "trust issues" with management, issues he isn't certain can ever be resolved, and left open the possibility of a trade. Los Angeles Daily News

At the same time, Bryant said, the Lakers told Jackson that they were letting him go because they were committed to reducing payroll and a long-term rebuild. When Bryant talked to Jackson on Tuesday and heard his version of the 2004 conversation for the first time, he seethed and publicly accused the Lakers of misleading him about their short-term plans for the team. "They said nothing, nothing, to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing," Bryant told 570-AM. "They told Phil one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words." Los Angeles Daily News

"Now I realize that it's not so much them not being able to do anything. It's them not wanting to do anything," Bryant told 570-AM. "It's a trust thing. They're in a long-term plan that I had no idea about. I'm bringing them players and I'm looking like a fool. Baron Davis wanted to play here for less money, but it's one excuse after the other because they're on some long-term plan that I have no idea about." Los Angeles Daily News

Kobe, appearing as a guest with Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith, was asked about reports that he was behind the Shaq trade to Miami: "This is the thing that really pisses me off. When I heard all the talk about Kobe ran Shaq out of this town. I assumed it was media guys talking about it or people assuming. I've had many media people, reporters come up to me and say you know the Lakers are having you take the bullet for this one, you know that right. I just shrugged it off because I just resigned with the team and it was about moving forward and being positive and I had no evidence to the contrary. Now when I pick up the paper and read that Lakers Insider says I ran Shaq off, ok now I have a serious issue with that. ... Now I'm going to have to speak my mind with what exactly happened because I'm not taking the bullet for something I did not say, did not do." BenMaller.com / May 29

Now, three full seasons after O'Neal's departure to Miami, Bryant appears to have lost all faith. The fact that he's keenly aware that most people feel he deserves to be miserable appears to have infuriated him now more than ever. "Sure, Shaq and I had our issues," Bryant said. "So what! It doesn't change the fact I never, ever, said to get rid of him. And it sure doesn't change the fact that all these years later, promises made to make this team better have not been kept. So where does that leave me?" Chicago Tribune

And what does O'Neal think? "I believe Kobe 100 percent," said O'Neal, reached yesterday while in Los Angeles on business. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent. I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me." Philadelphia Inquirer

Kobe asked about the disharmony in the front office said: "That place (Lakers front office) is a mess, it's a mess." ... Now they wanna try to use me as a scapegoat for this Lakers insider thing. Its absolutely ridiculous. If you make a decision stand up and stand infront of your decision. Don't try to throw me under the bus for something I did not say, something I did not do. I'm not taking that, absolutely not!" BenMaller.com / May 29

Asked if his relationship with some team executives could be repaired, Bryant told KLAC/570: "I don't know. I don't know. I've got a headache." Orange County Register

There is some thought that Bryant would not dare be so publicly indignant without somebody watching his back. Could that person be Jackson, who lately has made a career of covering Bryant's back? And if that's the case, then wouldn't his girlfriend Jeanie also be in that camp? Los Angeles Times

Bryant reiterated that he wants West to return. West made the deal to acquire Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 and the two remain close. But West is close to Kupchak and has been loyal to his friends. Riverside Press-Enterprise

West has a home in Bel-Air and is building a home in West Virginia. His youngest son, Jonnie, will play at West Virginia next season. "I'm not interested in a job with any organization, which I've said," West said in a phone interview Tuesday night. "I'm very competitive and I'm also very passionate about what I do. It is flattering to hear Kobe say that. But I just need to get away for a while." Riverside Press-Enterprise

A day after West reiterated that he is retiring and has "no plans to seek employment with any organization," sources close to the outgoing Memphis president said he is definitely leaving the game for at least a year, if not on a permanent basis. Bryant created another firestorm over the weekend by again expressing his frustration with the state of the Lakers and calling for the team to bring in West to help return it to title contention. West's moves to acquire Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led to the Lakers winning three straight titles from 2000-02. But West, who turned 69 on Monday, has told friends he is unsure of his future beyond wanting to take a year off. New York Daily News

[Sparegeez]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

LOL. WOW. Do yourself a favor and stop "hearing" things. I heard the interview this morning live, and it was nothing serious. Everything we already knew. LMFAO@"on the verge of tears".

LOL at NIK denying it. It's ok, we'll trade you al harrington for Kobe. Does that sound like a good deal?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

LOL. WOW. Do yourself a favor and stop "hearing" things. I heard the interview this morning live, and it was nothing serious. Everything we already knew. LMFAO@"on the verge of tears".

LOL at NIK denying it. It's ok, we'll trade you al harrington for Kobe. Does that sound like a good deal?

LOL@Sparegeez actually thinking the Lakers will trade Kobe.

[Bay Area Jat]

kobe shouldnt be airing all this out in the media. what a bitch he needs to keep this shit in house

[Sparegeez]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

LOL. WOW. Do yourself a favor and stop "hearing" things. I heard the interview this morning live, and it was nothing serious. Everything we already knew. LMFAO@"on the verge of tears".

LOL at NIK denying it. It's ok, we'll trade you al harrington for Kobe. Does that sound like a good deal?

LOL@Sparegeez actually thinking the Lakers will trade Kobe.

I'll bet you hat they will. What do you want? Paypal or account deleting?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Did anyone hear Kobe on the radio tonight?  Supposedly he was on the verge of tears!?  Anyway, its looking more and more like he will be dealt..........if not, after the way he outed the Lakers front office, noone is coming there so he is fucked.


I feel bad for true Laker fans, a talent like Kobe is rare, whatever the situation, shit has been fucked up for a while now............



I feel for Kobe in a way, but bottom line is he has made a bad situation worse with the only result being a trade. 

LOL. WOW. Do yourself a favor and stop "hearing" things. I heard the interview this morning live, and it was nothing serious. Everything we already knew. LMFAO@"on the verge of tears".

LOL at NIK denying it. It's ok, we'll trade you al harrington for Kobe. Does that sound like a good deal?

LOL@Sparegeez actually thinking the Lakers will trade Kobe.

I'll bet you hat they will. What do you want? Paypal or account deleting?

How 'bout both?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

kobe shouldnt be airing all this out in the media. what a bitch he needs to keep this shit in house

If he wasnt airing all this out, there would be no point...It's about making management feel an ugrency to build a contender NOW. If he just wanted a trade, he would go up to Buss and speak on it, not to the media. Watch the Lakers make some big deals in the next few months now...PeACe

[Bay Area Jat]

could this be the end of Now_I_Know???

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

could this be the end of Now_I_Know???

Deleting accounts doesn't mean you can't return to this board...I'll always know, son.

[Bay Area Jat]

son??? dont push it buddy