Bryant asks for trade, then backtracks slightly

[Rollie_Fingaz]

The official Kobe asks to be traded" thread..

Bryant asks for trade, then backtracks slightly

ESPN.com news services

The story lines that have engulfed the Los Angeles Lakers in the last week hit a crescendo Wednesday when Kobe Bryant said he would welcome a trade.

Kobe Bryant tells Stephen A. Smith on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York that he wants to be traded from the Lakers -- and that there's nothing the Lakers can do to change his mind. Listen

And later, in another radio interview, he seemed to back away from the demand.

First, Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York: "I would like to be traded, yeah. Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind.

"No," Bryant said. "I just want them to do the right thing."

"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."

Asked if he had any preference for a trade destination, he said "At this point I'll go play on Pluto."

Later, Bryant talked to Dan Patrick on ESPN Radio and seemed to reconsider slightly.

"I'm so tired of talking," Bryant said. "It's tough. I always dreamed about retiring as a Laker. I just hope and hope that something can be resolved. Something can be figured out. Just something so I can stay here and be in this city and be with the team I love."

Bryant told Patrick he talked to Lakers coach Phil Jackson after talking to Smith and felt resassured.

"When Phil and I spoke, he was optimistic and determined that we'll both be back," Bryant told Patrick. "Phil is somebody I listen to. I lean on him a lot. He assured me things are going to be OK. Things are going to be all right. Don't go full bore just yet. Take a deep breath and let us work these things out and everything will be all right. Which was very encouraging.

"I don't want to go anywhere else. I want to be here for the rest of my career. It was encouraging to hear that."

Bryant earned $17.72 million last season and is owed $88.6 million over the next four years. He can terminate his contract following the 2008-09 season -- a move that would leave $47.8 million on the table.

By requesting a trade, Bryant would obviously waive his no-trade clause, but he has a trade clause in his contract that is believed to add about $13 million to his total contract value, a cost to be absorbed by any team that acquires him.

"We are aware of the media reports. However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career.

"We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this."

Earlier in the day, Bryant said Buss masterminded the trade of Shaquille O'Neal -- and Shaq later confirmed Kobe's account.

The issues between Bryant and the Lakers have reached a boil, beginning with Bryant voicing his displeasure with the club's direction, his suggestion that Jerry West should return to fix things, West's statement that he has no intention of undermining GM/good friend Mitch Kupchak, and, unrelated but bizarre in its timing, Buss' arrest early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Bryant was left "beyond furious" by a report in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times that read, "as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess."

O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat after the 2003-04 season, and the long-held belief has been that the deteriorating relationship between O'Neal and Bryant was a factor in O'Neal's departure.

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In response to the Times' story, Bryant, interviewed by Smith for a Philadelphia Inquirer column, said Buss "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season.

"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here [in Newport Beach, Calif.] across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant told Smith. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait.

"This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.'"

"Dr. Buss said that," Bryant told Smith. "And I haven't said anything for years because I've always felt like folks were just looking to create controversy. Now I know. I realize what extent [the Lakers] will go to, to cover themselves."

Reached afterward, O'Neal told Smith that he believed his former teammate to be beyond reproach.

"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said when reached in Los Angeles. "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."

Buss was unavailable for comment Tuesday. Buss, 74, was booked early Tuesday for investigation of drunken driving and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or above.

Kupchak, at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, declined comment when asked about it by ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Kupchak said Buss was the only person speaking for the Lakers' organization on the matter.

Bryant told Patrick having West back with the Lakers would console him. "That would definitely help out the situation," he said. "I want to feel like there's somebody up there I can trust. Phil is one of those people. I have an idea who said it. I'm not going to get into speculation ... I know who's the Insider."

The Lakers missed the playoffs in the first season after O'Neal was dealt for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick, and have been eliminated in the first round the last two seasons. O'Neal and the Heat won the NBA championship last season.

"Sure, Shaq and I had our issues," Bryant told Smith. "So what! We always did and we won three titles. That doesn't change what was told to me. It doesn't change the fact I never, ever, said to get rid of him."

While Bryant re-signed for $136 million for seven years the day after O'Neal was traded, he has pushed for trades -- he wanted Carlos Boozer, then Jason Kidd, then Ron Artest -- that the Lakers were unable to pull off. Meanwhile, Odom has undergone shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp in October; Kwame Brown has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left ankle and might not be ready for the start of camp.

And now Bryant, who reportedly has made it clear to the Lakers that he may see fit to terminate his contract in two years, has told Smith he won't continue to wait for Buss to build the roster around him.

"Promises made to make this team better have not been kept," Bryant told Smith. "So where does that leave me?"

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Kobe wants to be traded

Increasingly upset over the direction of the team since its ouster from the playoffs, the Lakers icon says he needs to move on, although later he appears to soften his request to be traded.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
3:07 PM PDT, May 30, 2007

Continuing a week that has been as close to unforgettable as any in the Lakers' rich history, Kobe Bryant has said he wants to be traded from the Lakers.

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant told ESPN radio. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative."

Bryant, who turns 29 in August, has four years and $88.6 million left on his contract. Bryant's frustration has continued to boil since the Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in five games earlier this month, and Bryant has been increasingly vocal with his displeasure, which started with his acknowledgment to The Times last Saturday, when he said he wanted the team to acquire more pieces around him.

"We are aware of the media reports," Lakers owner Jerry Buss said in a statement. "However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded. We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career. We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this."

But, not more than a couple of hours later, Bryant went on AM 570 and seemed to soften his demand to be traded. "I can only hope that they do something because I don't want to go no place else. I don't want to," he said. "I want to stay here. I hope they can do something."

Bryant said he had been soothed by a call from Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. The two discussed a passage from a story in Tuesday's editions of the Los Angeles Times that read, "Nevertheless, as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess."

From the outside, the conversation dripped with irony: The coach and his player, ex-adversaries a few years back, now propping each other up.

"He stayed optimistic and said you know what, 'I can't blame you for feeling this way,' " Bryant said. "I've just got to be optimistic. We want our players who are playing for this team to feel comfortable, to feel that they can trust the people that they're around. He said, 'Let us try to work that out, let us try to figure things out and I'm confident that we can do that.'

"That made me feel a lot better because Phil is a guy that I lean on a lot. I lean on him all season for clarity, I lean on him for, like, hope."

Despite Bryant's initial trade declaration, it will not be as easy as it appears for the Lakers to move him to another team.

Bryant will obviously waive his no-trade clause, but he has a trade kicker in his contract that will add $9.5 million to his total contract value, a cost to be absorbed by any team that acquires him. The money would be paid like a signing bonus and would be spread out over several seasons toward the new team's salary cap. The Lakers had to pay a similar fee to Lamar Odom when they acquired him from Miami three years ago, paying him about $8 million.

Bryant was acquired as a fresh-faced teenager in 1996 and the Lakers had the nucleus of a three-championship run when Shaquille O'Neal was signed a week later as a free agent. Together, at the best of times, O'Neal and Bryant were an unbeatable tandem. But, at their worst, they bickered incessantly and brought an end to what could have been a long-running dynasty.

The Lakers have not won a playoff series since O'Neal was traded in July 2004. Most recently, Bryant was seething after the Lakers were eliminated by the Suns, saying they had to make changes as quickly as possible.

 

[cranrab]

i think i'll start an on-line tampon and paxil donation site for him.

this bitch made schizoid can't stand by his own words for more than 1 hour.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

i think i'll start an on-line tampon and paxil donation site for him.

this bitch made schizoid can't stand by his own words for more than 1 hour.

Kobe =

 

[cranrab]

jerry buss this morning:

"I talked with Kobe this morning and assured him that I share his frustration and, more importantly, I assured him that we will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone," Buss said in a statement released by the Lakers.

"I told him that we will keep him apprised of our progress and we agreed that we will talk again in the very near future."

 

[cranrab]

PLEASE READ - from the la times

from the man whose column allegedly pissed off tobe to begin with:

MARK HEISLER ON THE NBA
From O'Neal to Bryant, showtime becomes go time
Lakers may not act now but they'll probably be forced to act later
Mark Heisler
NBA

May 31, 2007

The truth? He can't handle the truth.

Kobe Bryant wouldn't accept a version of events that differs from his if a shaft of light illuminated his Newport Beach neighborhood and angels presented it to him on a DVD with a heavenly choir singing in the background.

But since he brought it up …

It's been three years since he and Shaquille O'Neal split up, a divorce that was overdue since they were sick of each other and everyone, including Lakers owner Jerry Buss and Coach Phil Jackson, was sick of their act.

Not that any of them ever exactly took responsibility for plowing their dynasty under.

Buss said it was purely financial, putting it on O'Neal, whose demand for an $80-million extension, coupled with his age and work ethic or lack thereof, meant he had to go.

Bryant said he had nothing to do with it.

Personally, I always thought all three — O'Neal, Bryant and, to a lesser extent, Buss — were responsible.

The 2003-04 season started with Bryant returning shakily to the team while standing trial, already focused on leaving as a free agent the next summer.

It even made Jackson's book, "The Last Season." Phil wrote that Bryant told him he wanted to get away from O'Neal, noting, "I'm tired of being a sidekick."

I thought Buss would pooh-pooh the possibility of Bryant leaving and wake up July 1 to find Bryant gone.

Instead, Buss met with Bryant on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004. From all accounts, including Bryant's, Buss said flatly that he wasn't going to extend O'Neal.
At the height of this week's media blitz, Bryant told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Stephen A. Smith, "Sure, Shaq and I had our issues, so what?

"We always did and we won three titles. … It doesn't change the fact I never, ever, said to get rid of him. And it damn sure doesn't change the fact that all these years later, promises made to make this team better have not been kept."

Of course, nowhere in there, or anywhere else, does Bryant say he even uttered one word to Buss about keeping O'Neal.

This is how it works: Nobody is making anything up. Everyone clings to a scenario that absolves them.

I'll never believe the two things were compartmentalized in Buss' mind. I'll always believe Bryant's looming free agency factored into Buss' decision.

Buss had spent months trying to re-sign O'Neal, who wouldn't budge from his then-$27 million salary — $5 million more than Buss wanted to pay.

Bigger gaps have been bridged but O'Neal was also being O'Neal.

At their first exhibition in Honolulu, he came off the floor yelling, "Pay me!" Buss, sitting nearby, was obliged to tell the press he wasn't offended.

Whether you believe Bryant and O'Neal are 50% at fault, or Bryant, O'Neal and Buss are 33% at fault, or Kobe is 34% at fault, one conclusion is inescapable:

As half of the years-long feud that finally broke up their dynasty, Bryant bears some responsibility.

All that was history before, in another jagged turn in Bryant's jagged career, a lifetime of poise went out the window, stirring up a past he had gotten past.

After three days clarifying his position on Jerry West, Bryant was incensed by two paragraphs deep in a story I wrote, noting a "Laker insider" said they were in this mess only because of Kobe's insistence on getting away from O'Neal.

To Bryant, this amounted to a betrayal by the actual Lakers organization, which he said had also made promises "that have not been kept to make this team better."

The last part went beyond rationalization to being on his own planet. Or what else is new?

The Lakers have spared no effort, with an $77 million payroll, not to mention the $10 million they're paying Jackson.

In a detail that escaped Bryant, with Karl Malone, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox leaving alongside O'Neal, building a contender in the Wild West out of what was left was on the order of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Of course, Bryant is an amateur GM, himself. When he told Stephen A., "I was gone until Dr. Buss called me from vacation in Italy," he isn't kidding.

Bryant was already working on his next team. A Clippers source says Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, told them Kobe wanted them to take Andre Igoudala in the draft. Igoudala happened to be Pelinka's client too. The Clippers thanked Pelinka for his input and took Shaun Livingston.

If last week was Sports Talk Show Heaven, it was awful for Bryant after three grinding seasons of resurrecting himself from the game's most despised player to its most admired.

Not much surprises me with Bryant but this did. After all he had been through, this was only basketball.

He's a great player stuck on a mediocre team. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have carried that burden for years.

Dug in on Planet Kobe, Bryant kept changing his posture with every interview Wednesday, telling Smith he wanted to be traded on ESPN radio in the morning, going on AM 570 to say he hoped to stay in the afternoon, finally telling our Mike Bresnahan he still wants to be traded.

The Lakers are willing to treat the whole thing as temporary insanity but in the really bad news, Kobe hasn't said anything he didn't mean.

Unless something promising happens next season, over which he has cast such a pall, he'll ask out. He'll only be a year from his 2009 opt-out and the organization will have had as much as it can take.

The circus can't stay in the same town forever, the Lakers just learned.

 

[cranrab]

FUNNY STUFF - tobe the baby

T.J. SIMERS
It is clear Bryant has no crying shame
T.J. Simers

May 31, 2007

FIRST THINGS first after listening to the Kobester blubber on and on about his loss of trust in Lakers management and his demand to be traded.

We've just got to make him happy, so we must find the identity of the Lakers insider who squealed to The Times, and publicly execute this person.

The next step belongs to the Lakers, as e-mailer Ron Kalinowski pointed out.

"Kobe talks about not being able to rebuild the trust with the Lakers," Kalinowski wrote, "well, maybe the Lakers should take a page out of his book and buy him a big diamond ring. Worked for him."

Then everybody lives happily thereafter.

JUST ANOTHER lovely day in Lakerland, or as the Kobester was saying on one of the 100 or so radio shows that he was on Wednesday, "This is one of the roughest days ever — it's tough, man."

Yes, sir, you've got it easy on your job compared to what the Kobester had to endure, spending an entire day talking to the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Vic the Brick.

It was exhausting, he said, and a tantrum usually does wear out a baby.

A day after tearing into the Lakers and calling them a mess among other things, it apparently wasn't enough to get whatever he wanted, so like a child who doesn't get the attention he or she demands, the Kobester really began carrying on.

Me, I would've just sent him to timeout, but then some people believe in just letting a baby cry.

A DAY after telling everyone he doesn't want to be traded and some time after 9 a.m., the Kobester goes on radio station 1050 out of New York and tells Smith, "Yeah, I would like to be traded, yeah." Later he says, "At this point, I'll go play on Pluto."

Smith asks, is there anything the Lakers could do to change Bryant's mind?

"No," he says.

"Nothing?" Smith responds.

"No," the Kobester says.

But what if Jerry West returns to the Lakers? Smith wants to know.

"It's beyond that point," the Kobester says. "I know who the insider is."

I'm thinking right away that will make the execution easier — rather than lining up everyone in the Lakers' front office against the wall.

Smith wraps up the interview and asks again, "Is there anything to get you to remain with the Laker organization?"

"No, bro," Bryant says.

ESPN TV begins running a crawl alerting the world that there is nothing that can change the Kobester's mind about staying with the Lakers.

A LITTLE after noon and the Kobester, sounding as if he might cry, goes on 710 with Dan Patrick. When Patrick asks what happens if the Lakers don't trade him, Bryant says, "What am I going to do? I've still got to perform."

He says he has talked to Phil Jackson and that the coach told him, "I can't blame you; I feel the same way." So are we to understand now that Jackson also doesn't trust the Lakers' front office and wants to be traded too?

Patrick wants to know, if West returned, would that be enough to keep Bryant in L.A.? "That would definitely help out the situation," Bryant says.

Bryant tells Patrick he stands behind everything he said earlier to Smith when he demanded a trade, but concludes the interview by saying, "I'm hoping something can be resolved so I can stay here and be in the city I love."

He's talking out of both sides of his mouth again.

A SHORT time later the Kobester is on 570 with the Loose Cannons, and there is genuine concern the Brick might need to be revived. It will be interesting to see what happens if he requires mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

When Steve Hartman makes it both a statement and a question: "You want to be Laker?" Bryant responds, "More than anything else. I don't want to go nowhere."

And there you go. That clears up everything. The Kobester wants to be traded, demands that he be traded and there's nothing the Lakers can do to keep him here, but "more than anything else, I don't want to go nowhere ."

I think someone needs a nap.

 

[cranrab]

JIM BUSS' statement and tobe timeline

From the Los Angeles Times
Kobe's change of direction has L.A. guessing
By Mike Bresnahan
Times Staff Writer

May 31, 2007

The morning began with a startling declaration from L.A.'s most recognizable athlete, a demand by Kobe Bryant on a radio show that he wanted to be traded from the Lakers, the only team he has played for since he was a teenager.

Before it could fully sink in with die-hard followers of the Lakers, Bryant's ultimatum zigzagged as he appeared on two more radio shows, an apparent realization by the nine-time NBA All-Star that, well, things just might turn out OK after all and he might like to stay.

Then, late in the afternoon, Bryant told The Times that, sorry for the confusion, but he still wanted to be traded.

Somehow, Wednesday took the prize for the most chaotic part of a four-day span, the latest chapter of an unforgettable period in Lakers history, jump-started by Bryant's remarks in Sunday's editions of The Times that, "I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

It was a direct shot at the Lakers' upper management, a warning note from the franchise's cornerstone that he had been increasingly disenchanted since the team's quick exit in the first round of the playoffs this month. The Lakers, accustomed to winning championships almost as often as presidential elections — they've won nine since moving to Los Angeles in 1960 — but haven't earned one since 2002.

Bryant, who turns 29 in August, has already taken part in three championship parades, but, after three disappointing seasons, he was apparently too unhappy with the Lakers management.

So Wednesday morning, Bryant sighed deeply and said the words he never envisioned he would say.

"I would like to be traded, yeah," he told ESPN radio. "As tough as it is to say that, as tough as it is to come to that conclusion, there's no other alternative. They obviously want to move in a different direction as far as rebuilding.

"I just want them to do the right thing…. At this point, I'll go play on Pluto right now."

Not more than a couple of hours later, Bryant apparently came back to Earth and softened his trade demand in an interview with KLAC radio in Los Angeles.

"I can only hope that they do something because I don't want to go no place else. I don't want to," he said. "I want to stay here. I hope they can do something."

Bryant wants a few new teammates, some game-changing pieces to join him here in L.A., but the Lakers, already burdened with a big payroll, could acquire them only by making some eye-opening trades, which Bryant would endorse heartily.

After Bryant's trade demand, it appeared that some soothing early-afternoon words from Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and a Lakers legend, Magic Johnson, also brought Bryant back from orbit.

Johnson, who won five championships in the 1980s while playing for the Lakers, sent text messages to Bryant, then left two voice-mail messages that were retrieved by Bryant, although the two superstars never actually spoke.

"You've got to give him credit because he said some things that were on his mind, and that's OK," said Johnson, who owns about 5% of the Lakers. "I think we want a better product on the court. We want to win too. Now it's just got to come down to listening to what the young man said.

"Trading him is not an option. You don't trade the best player in the world. What you do is try to make trades and try to make the team better."

Jackson also took a turn talking with Bryant, an image dripping with irony: The coach and his player, adversaries a few years back, now propping each other up. Jackson, 61, who has won nine championships as a coach, criticized Bryant in a tell-all book in 2004, but has since mended fences with the player he once referred to as "uncoachable."

The two discussed a passage from a story in Tuesday's editions of The Times that infuriated Bryant. It read: "Nevertheless, as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess."

Bryant wanted to know the exact identity of the insider. Jackson asked him to relax.

"He told me, 'I can't blame you. I'd do the same thing. It's messed up. We're going to try and figure things out ourselves within this organization internally,' " Bryant said.

Together, at the best of times, O'Neal and Bryant were an unbeatable tandem, driving the Lakers to championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. But at their worst, the two stars bickered incessantly and brought an end to what could have been a long-running dynasty. The Lakers have not won a playoff series since O'Neal was traded in July 2004 and have a 121-125 record the last three seasons, not including two first-round playoff exits.

Bryant also said Jackson told him to "just relax and just kick back, continue your training and enjoy your vacation. We'll address the issues. We have to do something in terms of bringing in talent and looking internally into the organization."

So Bryant went to see his young daughter in her ballet class. He tried to take his mind off of the events swirling around him but was continually hit with text messages and calls on his cellphone.

When he spoke to The Times at 5:27 p.m., he reiterated his position from earlier in the morning.

"Nothing's changed," Bryant said. "It's just a matter of I don't want to go no place else. I don't have much of a choice. When things like this go down, you just sit back. What can I do? It's like a broken record."

When asked if he still wanted to be traded, he answered quickly and firmly: "Yes."

The Lakers have no interest in trading Bryant, who has four years and $88.6 million left on his contract. But Bryant has the option of voiding his contract after the 2008-09 season. The two-time scoring champion, widely acknowledged as the game's best player, has the NBA's best-selling jersey and is a significant draw at Staples Center and on the road.

The Lakers were concerned enough to send a mass e-mail to season-ticket holders Wednesday, providing an e-mail address to "voice your concerns to Lakers Management."

In fact, most of the Lakers' brain trust was in Orlando, Fla., for a camp showcasing young players for next month's NBA draft. The Lakers officials included General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Vice President of Player Personnel Jim Buss, son of team owner Jerry Buss.

The younger Buss, in the late morning, said it was too early to formulate a game plan.

"We're trying to build a championship team and Kobe was part of that," Buss said. "I have to talk to Mitch and my dad and also listen to Kobe as to why he's demanding the trade. Trading Kobe wasn't in our plans in any way, but we have to listen to him and see what this whole thing's all about."

Then, an hour later, came a statement released by the team that carried a similar theme from the elder Buss, who gave the go-ahead in July 2004 to sign Bryant to his seven-year, $136.4-million contract.

"We are aware of the media reports," Buss said. "However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded. We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career. We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this."

Jerry Buss is expected to talk with Bryant before leaving the country today for a vacation to an unspecified destination. A lot could be riding on it.

Buss, known as a first-rate poker player and the overseer of one of the most successful franchises in pro sports history, has a reputation for making the right move at the perfect moment. Or, as a source close to him said Wednesday, "His timing is pretty damn good." Regardless, it won't be a simple transaction if the Lakers decide to trade Bryant.

He will obviously waive a no-trade clause in his contract, but he has a trade kicker in his deal that will add $9.5 million to his contract, to be absorbed by any team that acquires him.

If the Lakers do satisfy Bryant's wishes, they would almost certainly send him to an Eastern Conference team to avoid having to play against him four times during the regular season.

The Lakers will assemble in Honolulu for training camp on Oct. 3. Will Bryant be there?

"That's an if for me," he said. "I don't know. There ain't much I can do, bro."

What he said

Wednesday morning, to ESPN radio's Stephen A. Smith:

"I would like to be traded, yeah…. At this point I'll go play on Pluto."

*

Midday, with ESPN's Dan Patrick:

"I don't want to go anywhere else. I want to be here for the rest of my career."

*

Later, on L.A.'s AM 570 KLAC:

Phil Jackson said, " 'Let us try to work that out…. ' That made me feel a lot better."

*

Finally, in a Times interview:

"It's just a matter of I don't want to go no place else." But asked if he still wanted to be traded: "Yes."

 

[Spectrum]

Re: JIM BUSS' statement and tobe timeline

Cran

As you noted... very interesting that Jim Buss is already using "past-tense" when referring to Kobe... maybe he is subconsciously illustrating something there..

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

A cry for help
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
May 31, 2007

Adrian Wojnarowski
Yahoo! Sports

So, has Kobe Bryant's tantrum finally ended?

First, he wants to be traded. Nothing will change his mind.

Well, wait. He isn't sure. Maybe not.

Oh, never mind. He talked to Phil Jackson. He feels better. They'll figure this out together.

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And on and on he goes, Bryant controlling the news cycle on an hourly basis now, changing course, causing re-writes, relentlessly manipulating his move over the Spurs and LeBron James as the story of these NBA playoffs.

Bryant is out of his mind right now, but in his element. This national debate over his future goes a long way to sooth his endless ego.

In the end, Bryant won't be traded. Nor will he want it. Mostly, this embarrassing episode has been a chance to blow off steam, flex his muscle and give everyone a good laugh with the signature line on his blog entries that says, "Strength and Honor, Kobe Bryant."

As much as Bryant wants to win, he wants everyone to empathize with him, acknowledge just how horrible he has it. Rest assured, it's been duly noted. In the end, there is no trade the Los Angeles Lakers can make to assure that they'll keep filling the Staples Center, that they'll have the star power necessary to stay relevant in Hollywood.

Jerry Buss has no inclination to ever trade one of the rare few ticket sellers in the sport, and Bryant doesn't want to leave Los Angeles.

Sure, he has his moments. He thinks about it. When he woke up Wednesday morning, he had gone back to that deep-seeded desire he's long had to take his act to Madison Square Garden. It was no coincidence that he chose Stephen A. Smith's New York radio show on Wednesday to say that he wanted a trade out of L.A.

Whatever. Bryant isn't leaving, but if he did, several league sources believe he wants to play for the New York Knicks. And that includes one high-ranking Western Conference executive, who said, "I think he would only go to New York."

Wherever he would go in the Eastern Conference, that team would immediately be a conference championship contender. Kobe with almost anyone would be comparable to the Cavaliers with LeBron. A third team, maybe even a fourth, would be needed to create a circumstance where Bryant could be traded to the Knicks. There's no way Buss could sell Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford, the core of a 30-win East garbage bin, as the Lakers' new era.

Perhaps the strongest suitor for Bryant would be the Chicago Bulls, whom he did talk with as a free agent three years ago. They could offer a combination of Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas and a lottery pick. Atlanta Hawks? Bryant would never go there. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would have major interest in him and the assets to make a trade possible, but the Lakers would try hard to move him out of the West. And as one Pacific Division general manager said Wednesday night, "No way would the Lakers trade him to a division rival, (but) I don't think he'll get traded anyway."

For now, Bryant is raging over a so-called "Lakers insider" quoted in the Los Angeles Times saying that Shaquille O'Neal's departure was Kobe's fault. He wants this employee fired, because remember, Kobe has never manipulated his guys in the press to push his own agenda.

These Lakers, as lost as they are constructing a contender, supported him unconditionally through his rape charges, flew him back and forth on a team jet from hearings in Colorado, and his reward to them? Opting out of his contract, and threatening to leave for the Los Angeles Clippers. But now, Bryant says he has "trust issues" with the Lakers.

Anyway, he spent most of his late day on Wednesday backpedaling on his demand for a trade. He isn't going anywhere, and chances are, he'll stop talking soon. He has done enough damage to his name, his Lakers, and cost them considerable leverage dealing with the rest of the league this summer.

He'll be the center of everything this summer, probably all the way until he starts railing on Team USA G.M. Jerry Colangelo for his inability to surround Bryant with enough talent to beat Brazil in the FIBA Americas championship this summer. By then, Kobe will be calling for Colangelo to work a deal for Manu Ginobili.

 

[cranrab]

i'm going to tell you all something right now.

jim buss is the insider.

coach jackson is piggy-backing off of tobe's childish spectacle to increase his own stranglehold on the organization.

rob pelinka and tobe never dreamed that coach jackson could leverage this situation to his own advantage AND pimp tobe the puppet at the same time.

for those that are asking, "why does cranrab keep insisting that tobe's agent is involved in this?", the answer lies in the FACTS as they transpired yesterday. how many agents let their client go on 5 NATIONAL RADIO SHOWS and make jackasses of themselves UNLESS IT WAS PART OF THEIR PLAN?

AT BEST, tobe came off looking like an emotional pre-pubescent girl, and an unstable one at that.

 

[cranrab]

BTW,

one point i can agree on (and have always maintained) is that jerry buss is not interested in trading the cash cow. too much of a revenue generator.

but the other point i will never waver on (and have always maintained) IF JERRY BUSS WANTS TO HAVE A BETTER BASKETBALL TEAM, he needs to trade tobe.

all comes down to a simple question of which is greater: $ or W

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Odom hears trade talk

LAKERS: The forward, who may need knee surgery, could be part of another O'Neal deal.

11:48 PM PDT on Friday, June 8, 2007

By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise

His cell and home phones ring constantly, and he gets countless text messages daily.

All his friends and family have the same questions for Lamar Odom.

"Yo, L.O., you getting traded? Yo, L.O., you going to the Pacers? Yo, L.O., what's up?"

Odom can't go anywhere without hearing his name being mentioned along with Lakers teammate Andrew Bynum and the team's No. 1 draft pick (19) in a deal for Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal.

"Of course I'm getting called all the time about that," Odom said in a phone interview. "It's flattering. But I want to be a Laker."

Odom had surgery last month to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will require four months to heal.

He will get an MRI next week on his right knee to determine if he needs surgery for a sprained MCL.

Having a surgery -- or two -- wouldn't necessarily prohibit Odom from being a part of a potential blockbuster trade this summer.

"I hope they don't have to do the surgery," Odom said. "But if they do, it'll be done in time to be ready for the season."

Recently, Odom listened intently to teammate Kobe Bryant vent.

Bryant demanded to be traded, rescinded that and asked to be traded again, leaving Odom to say "that was a wild week."

Odom said he spoke with Bryant late last week.

"I couldn't tell if he was frustrated," Odom said. "But for us to have a conversation, obviously something had to be up."

Could Odom gauge whether Bryant wanted to be traded or remain with the Lakers?

"I have no idea," Odom said. "Nor would I ever ask him that."

Odom, who averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season, injured his shoulder March 2. But he missed just five games, playing in pain the rest of the season and in the playoffs.

He has been traded before, coming to LA from Miami as part of the Shaquille O'Neal deal in 2004.

Odom wants to play for the Lakers but said the business of sports dictates that players have to move on.

"I'm 100 percent down for the Lakers," Odom said. "But you have to understand that this is a business. Nobody likes to be traded off their team. But if you do, hopefully your game protects you and puts you in a situation where it's comfortable, as far as being accepted by the other organization."

Odom, who has two years and $27,397,192 left on his contract, said he would seek an extension if he is traded.

Odom has been getting treatment for his shoulder three days a week and said he hasn't talked to the Lakers about the trade talks.

"I don't think it's like that for me to have to talk to them right now," Odom said.


More Lakers Notes

Lakers coach Phil Jackson will have left hip-replacement surgery Tuesday but should be ready in time for training camp that begins Oct. 2 in Hawaii. Jackson had the same procedure done on his right hip last October.

Shammond Williams has decided to return to Europe. Williams, an unrestricted free agent who spent one season with the Lakers, is expected to sign with Pamesa Valencia, a team in Spain. Williams spent the 2004-05 season in Russia and the next season in Barcelona, Spain.

 

[cranrab]

Shammond Williams has decided to return to Europe. Williams, an unrestricted free agent who spent one season with the Lakers, is expected to sign with Pamesa Valencia, a team in Spain. Williams spent the 2004-05 season in Russia and the next season in Barcelona, Spain.

i don't blame him one bit.

barceloneta (yes, i typed it that way on purpose) is a beautiful port city and young beautiful women from spain, france, italy, the mediterranean islands and morocco visit regularly.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

i don't blame him one bit.

barceloneta (yes, i typed it that way on purpose) is a beautiful port city and young beautiful women from spain, france, italy, the mediterranean islands and morocco visit regularly.

It guarantees him playing time. He's not tall enough to fit into Phil's system.

EDIT: With Williams leaving and Smush Parker gone, that means they only have one point guard. So now they have another problem..

 

[Spectrum]

i don't blame him one bit.

barceloneta (yes, i typed it that way on purpose) is a beautiful port city and young beautiful women from spain, france, italy, the mediterranean islands and morocco visit regularly.

Barcelona is a beautiful city but I prefer Madrid.... maybe because I had a lot of friends there , but I found the nightlife was nice on Madrid..

 

[cranrab]

i love madrid for different reasons. for me, they were night and day. madrid is "old world" spain and barcelona was "new world" with the hard rock cafe on the semi nude beach, and the harbor scene.

 

[Spectrum]

i love madrid for different reasons. for me, they were night and day. madrid is "old world" spain and barcelona was "new world" with the hard rock cafe on the semi nude beach, and the harbor scene.

yeah..definitely two different scenes altogether... I haven't spent much time in Eastern Europe... but I think Spanish women are the best of western europe....

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Walton sees Bryant's frustration as temporary
By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

CLEVELANDLakers forward Luke Walton views Kobe Bryant's recent outbursts about possibly wanting to be traded as temporary products of his frustration with losing.

"We all want to win," Walton said Wednesday. "Hopefully it's going to work itself out. It's over now. We just want it to pass and go on with our lives."

Walton was speaking on an ABC conference call with his father, Bill, and reporters during the NBA Finals in advance of Father's Day.

"He probably said some things that he later regretted and later he actually took back," Luke Walton said of Bryant. "But ultimately, Kobe wants to win. He's used to winning, and he wants to win again."

Walton, Bryant's teammate since 2003, is a free agent, though he hopes to return to the Lakers.

Walton's father was not nearly as understanding toward Bryant, criticizing him for "an attention-grabbing stunt" during the conference finals. Bill Walton, an ESPN analyst, said one could "imagine how mad" Bryant is now that LeBron James is getting "deserved" attention during the NBA Finals.

"Kobe is not comfortable unless the story is about him," Bill Walton said. "The story was about San Antonio, Utah, Cleveland and Detroit."

Walton also said Bryant should appreciate that his supporting cast is superior to what James has, even though Cleveland advanced through a weak Eastern Conference.

"He has a better team around him than LeBron James," Walton said. "Is there anybody on the Cleveland team who is a better player next to LeBron than Lamar Odom is? Would the Lakers trade Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum for Zydrunas Ilgauskas?

 

[cranrab]

tobe going, going ???

Source: Bryant tells Buss that he wants out
In a meeting in Spain, the Lakers star voices concerns to owner about team's direction.
By Mike Bresnahan
Times Staff Writer

June 16, 2007

Jerry Buss met with his unhappy $88.6-million employee, Kobe Bryant, for a get-together Friday between owner and superstar in the somewhat surprising setting of Spain.

They had spoken by phone two weeks ago, a few days after Bryant asked to be traded, but this was a longer, more emotional conversation.

Buss wanted to appeal to the nine-time All-Star, reminding him that trades take time to develop and that winning remains the focus of the organization, but Bryant voiced concerns about the direction of the franchise and reiterated his demand to be traded, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

"That's the message that came out of it," the source said.

Team sources vehemently insisted there were no plans to trade Bryant, and they were still hopeful that a peaceful solution could be reached. Bryant and Buss are expected to resume their dialogue in the near future.

Bryant's displeasure has grown steadily since the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix last month in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers are 121-125 since reaching the NBA Finals in 2004, not including their first-round exits the last two seasons.

Last month, Bryant publicly requested that Jerry West return to the team's front office — an unlikely scenario — and urged General Manager Mitch Kupchak to make trades that would steer the team in a winning direction.

"I'm still frustrated," Bryant said at the time. "I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

The Lakers have contacted numerous teams, but there have not been any blockbuster deals yet — by them or by any other team in the league.

[maybe because nobody is stupid enough to take a streaky chucker who belongs on the bench?]

Talks with the Indiana Pacers for six-time All-Star forward-center Jermaine O'Neal have stalled because the Lakers do not want to give up both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to get O'Neal.

Trade talks around the league are expected to heat up as the June 28 draft approaches and could continue into the free-agent period that begins July 1.

Bryant was vacationing in Spain and stopped by to see a practice session of his favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona, on Thursday. Buss had been in China since leaving the U.S. more than two weeks ago. He planned to travel to London before returning to Los Angeles, although it was unclear whether he went to Spain specifically to talk to Bryant.

"What they talked about and what went on between Kobe and Dr. Buss is private and will remain between the two of them," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return calls seeking comment.

Bryant, who will be 29 in August, has four years left on his contract, but he can void it in two years.

The two-time scoring champion, widely acknowledged as the game's most dynamic player, has the NBA's top-selling jersey and is a significant draw at Staples Center. The Lakers are very cognizant of his importance in driving ticket sales, as well as his effect on corporate sponsors.

Buss, who signed off on Bryant's seven-year, $136.4-million contract in July 2004, released a statement two weeks ago in which he said, "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone."

 

[cranrab]

Re: tobe going, going ???

Lakers-Pacers talks stall
L.A. doesn't want to give up Odom and Bynum in a deal for Jermaine O'Neal
By Mike Bresnahan
Times Staff Writer

June 15, 2007

Where's Jermaine O'Neal? Still a member of the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers and Pacers have stalled on trade talks involving the six-time All-Star forward-center because the Lakers do not want to give up both Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom in a swap for O'Neal and power forward Troy Murphy, a source said. The Lakers would also include Kwame Brown in the trade.

O'Neal, 28, is consistently among the league leaders in points, rebounds and blocked shots. He averaged 19.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots last season, the continuation of a career that has been on a solid track since he was traded from Portland to the Pacers in 2000.

Murphy, 27, has outside range and rebounds well, but is a subpar defender who would be included in a deal primarily as salary-cap ballast. The four years and $42.3 million he has left on his contract, coupled with the three years and $64.1 million left on O'Neal's contract, would practically guarantee that the Lakers would pay the luxury tax for years to come.

Numerous sources have said O'Neal wants to play in L.A., but the Lakers simply do not want to part with Odom and Bynum to make it work. Lakers officials declined to comment Thursday.

Odom, 27, averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season, one that started strongly for him before being interrupted by knee and shoulder injuries. He underwent surgery last month to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but is expected to return in time for training camp in October.

Of equal, if not greater, concern to the Lakers is the Pacers' desire for the 19-year-old Bynum.

He averaged 10.7 points, nine rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in 15 games in January before slumping badly. Coach Phil Jackson criticized his work ethic, but the Lakers aren't necessarily ready to give up on the potential of the 10th pick in the 2005 draft.

Brown, 25, also underwent surgery last month, and will be out several months while recovering from a reconstructive operation on his left ankle. He has one year left on his contract at $9.1 million, which makes him appealing to teams hoping to trim payroll after next season.

Talks between the Pacers and Lakers could be jump-started again as the June 28 draft draws closer.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Source: Bryant tells Buss that he wants out
In a meeting in Spain, the Lakers star voices concerns to owner about team's direction.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
June 16, 2007

Jerry Buss met with his unhappy $88.6-million employee, Kobe Bryant, for a get-together Friday between owner and superstar in the somewhat surprising setting of Spain.

They had spoken by phone two weeks ago, a few days after Bryant asked to be traded, but this was a longer, more emotional conversation.

Buss wanted to appeal to the nine-time All-Star, reminding him that trades take time to develop and that winning remains the focus of the organization, but Bryant voiced concerns about the direction of the franchise and reiterated his demand to be traded, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

"That's the message that came out of it," the source said.

Team sources vehemently insisted there were no plans to trade Bryant, and they were still hopeful that a peaceful solution could be reached. Bryant and Buss are expected to resume their dialogue in the near future.

Bryant's displeasure has grown steadily since the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix last month in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers are 121-125 since reaching the NBA Finals in 2004, not including their first-round exits the last two seasons.

Last month, Bryant publicly requested that Jerry West return to the team's front office — an unlikely scenario — and urged General Manager Mitch Kupchak to make trades that would steer the team in a winning direction.

"I'm still frustrated," Bryant said at the time. "I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

The Lakers have contacted numerous teams, but there have not been any blockbuster deals yet — by them or by any other team in the league.

Talks with the Indiana Pacers for six-time All-Star forward-center Jermaine O'Neal have stalled because the Lakers do not want to give up both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to get O'Neal.

Trade talks around the league are expected to heat up as the June 28 draft approaches and could continue into the free-agent period that begins July 1.

Bryant was vacationing in Spain and stopped by to see a practice session of his favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona, on Thursday. Buss had been in China since leaving the U.S. more than two weeks ago. He planned to travel to London before returning to Los Angeles, although it was unclear whether he went to Spain specifically to talk to Bryant.

"What they talked about and what went on between Kobe and Dr. Buss is private and will remain between the two of them," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return calls seeking comment.

Bryant, who will be 29 in August, has four years left on his contract, but he can void it in two years.

The two-time scoring champion, widely acknowledged as the game's most dynamic player, has the NBA's top-selling jersey and is a significant draw at Staples Center. The Lakers are very cognizant of his importance in driving ticket sales, as well as his effect on corporate sponsors.

Buss, who signed off on Bryant's seven-year, $136.4-million contract in July 2004, released a statement two weeks ago in which he said, "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone."

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Kobe is the first priority
Lakers reporter Mike Bresnahan talks about Bryant's future with the team and the five key moves the team must make.
5:17 AM PDT, June 15, 2007

Reader questions for Lakers beat reporter Mike Bresnahan.

Question: I was wondering what your input was on the whole situation with Kobe and the Lakers.

— Randy Stockwell, Bridport, Vt.

Answer: Wow, the Kobe saga is even on the minds of Vermonters. Nice run for the Vermont Frost Heaves, by the way (2007 ABA champs).

The Lakers obviously have an unhappy superstar, which isn't a novel concept for them. Remember, Shaquille O'Neal complained after not getting a hefty contract extension, and, further back, Magic Johnson clashed with then-coach Paul Westhead.

On the other hand, this drama has been played out very publicly — newspapers, talk-radio shows, and even on MySpace — and there is a ton of money riding on it, be it the $88.6 million left on Kobe's contract or the untold millions he brings to the Lakers via corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, etc.

Personally, I don't think he is going to get traded this summer.

You can never say never in this league, but I'd say there's a 5% chance, at most. If Kobe continues to publicly assail the Lakers, then maybe the odds of a trade increase, but he has been quiet for more than two weeks.

Looking further into the future, if the Lakers founder next season, Kobe might be traded next summer. He has the chance to void the remainder of his contract in 2009, and the Lakers would not want to lose him for nothing.

For now, they will try to build around their nine-time All-Star.

For the future, anything goes.

Q: What moves do the Lakers have to make this summer?

— everybody, everywhere

A: This question was (understandably) asked so many times by so many people, that I rolled it into one.

Here are five things the Lakers could do to restore some order, on and off the court. Disclaimer: Many of these moves are not that simple, but even connecting on, say, four of them would obviously help the team.

5) Re-sign Luke Walton.

One word: Steady.

Two words: Team player.

Because teams can offer their free agents more than competing teams, the Lakers can give Walton up to $11 million a year without affecting their salary-cap quandary, although that won't happen because he's not a franchise player.

The Lakers will probably offer about $5 million a year, but other teams are expected to offer Walton their full midlevel exception of five years and about $30 million.

I see a situation similar to Derek Fisher's decision to take a six-year deal and $36.6 million from Golden State after the Lakers offered less money and fewer years. Fisher got a nice payday but was admittedly unhappy after the Warriors traded for Baron Davis. He eventually ended up in Utah, which has turned out better for him.

Walton loves Los Angeles and just opened a barbecue-style restaurant in Manhattan Beach (good food too, I might add). He might take more money to play elsewhere, perhaps for a contender. He might stay in L.A., fearful of missing the beach life. Either way, he's in line for a significant pay raise after making $1.4 million this season. The Lakers would miss a solid all-around player if he leaves.

4) Get an effective big man.

Much, much, much easier said than done.

The Lakers have spoken with Denver about Marcus Camby, but that apparently ended when they were told Kwame Brown wasn't enough.


The Lakers have also spoken with Indiana about Jermaine O'Neal, but they've had six weeks to get something done and it hasn't happened.

I expect talks to heat up going into the June 28 draft and during the free-agent period, which begins July 1.

If the Lakers don't make a trade, their centers for next season will be Brown, Andrew Bynum and, perhaps, Chris Mihm, who might be brought back with a substantial pay cut if he shows his ankle has recovered from reconstructive surgery.

3) Continue to make sure Andrew Bynum develops ... if he isn't traded.

If the Lakers don't make any moves, some of which might involve Bynum, the development of their resident teenager is key.

Keeping in mind that it took Jermaine O'Neal five years and a change of scenery before he blossomed, Bynum will be entering his third year when training camp starts in October in Honolulu.

Then again, Bynum averaged 10.7 points, nine rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in 15 games in the month of January before tailing off rapidly. Can he parlay his early-season success into something more lasting next season? Might be too early for Lakers fans to hope so, but if Bynum stays, the Lakers would be wise to polish him up a bit this summer.

2) Get a point guard.

Could there be a bigger understatement than saying that the Smush Parker experiment failed?

By most accounts, Jordan Farmar is still another season or two from being an effective player after averaging 6.4 points and 1.6 assists in five games as a starter in the playoffs.

If the Lakers don't acquire a ballhandling guard in a trade, they would probably try to sign one with their midlevel exception of five years and about $30 million. Possibilities include Denver's Steve Blake, Milwaukee's Mo Williams and Earl Boykins, and the Clippers' Jason Hart. A reunion with Chucky Atkins or Gary Payton — both free agents — will not happen, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups and Sacramento's Mike Bibby will ask for more money than the Lakers can afford if they opt out of their contracts.

In other words, it doesn't look like the Lakers will be acquiring a difference-maker in the free-agent market, although anything is an upgrade over Parker.

1) Solve the Bryant predicament.

I saved the last spot for the Lakers' hardest challenge.

They are hoping Bryant can be coaxed back into believing in them, but the Lakers will have to surround him with enough talent to make him think another first-round playoff exit isn't inevitable.

Not an easy task.

On the surface, however, it looks like Bryant might not have much of a choice. Lakers owner Jerry Buss recently said in a statement that "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone."

Jeanie Buss, the team's executive vice president of business operations, was even more vocal in a journal on the team's website.

"While it is clear that I have no input into basketball decisions, I have expressed my opinion to everyone I work with in this organization that Kobe Bryant CANNOT now or EVER be traded from the Lakers," she wrote. "Even thinking about it distresses me. My message is simple — he is not going anywhere. How can you trade Kobe when there is no equal to Kobe?"

The Lakers' summer got a lot busier when Bryant publicly demanded a trade. I know one other thing: My summer got a lot busier too.

 

[Spectrum]

^^^

This shit is a fucking mess...a living soap opera. I want to be a laker for life... trade me... i really want to stick around.... flies to Spain..."trade me".... unbelievable

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Johnny Buss speaks out on his dad, Lakers, Bryant
Owner's son says Los Angeles wants to keep Bryant.
BY KEVIN DING
OC Register.com
Johnny Buss, one of Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ sons, spent time recently with his father in China and said on a radio show Thursday night that Jerry Buss wants to keep Kobe Bryant a Laker as long as Buss is running the team.

“My father still runs the Lakers, and I’m sure that he’s not going to stop until Kobe’s actually wearing a different jersey -- but I hope he’s not,” Johnny Buss said on KLAC/570.

Johnny Buss went public in efforts to clarify an Internet post he made, saying it was meant as supportive of Bryant if he were to be traded. Buss, who has no role in Lakers management, said his father was upset by Bryant’s recent complaints, though.

“He’s stood behind Kobe in quite a few issues that Kobe’s gone through in his career with the Lakers, and I think my dad was hurt,” Buss said. “I felt like he was hurt. He spent a lot of time on the phone with my brother (Jim) and the coach, Phil Jackson, and they were just trying to figure out what they could do to keep Kobe in Los Angeles. And I think they are still going to try to do that.”

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Bryant pushing for trade

LAKERS: Buss is said to be shocked after a meeting with his All-Star guard in Spain.

10:51 PM PDT on Friday, June 15, 2007

By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise

Disgruntled Lakers guard Kobe Bryant met with Lakers owner Jerry Buss on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, and reiterated his demand to be traded, two league sources said.

Buss was shocked by Bryant's continued and defiant stance, the sources said, and left the meeting unsure if he would give in to Bryant's demands or if he would keep the All-Star, knowing it'll be "impossible" to get equal value in return.

The Lakers confirmed Friday night that Bryant and Buss did meet. Bryant was in Barcelona on vacation, and Buss was on vacation in China before going to London and then to Barcelona.

"Our position is that it's a private meeting between the two of them and it shall remain private between the two of them," Lakers public relations director John Black said Friday night in a phone interview.

Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, didn't return messages.

Bryant began his campaign to force a trade almost three weeks ago by venting in a barrage of interviews on radio stations and in newspapers.

His last public comments had him wanting to be traded, rescinding those demands and then still wanting to be traded, all coming on the same day.

Bryant is the only NBA player with a no-trade clause in his contract. He had said he would waive that clause. But he could make a trade more difficult because he has a three-team wish list, the sources said. Two of the teams are the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

One report had the Lakers hoping to acquire Bulls center Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Chicago's No. 1 draft pick (9) for Bryant.

But the sources said every team, including the Bulls, knows the Lakers will try to "gut" a team in order to get as much value as possible for Bryant.

Bryant could also veto a trade if he thinks the team has to give up too many players, which, the sources said, could also make a trade more difficult.

For a team to acquire Bryant, it cannot swap one or more players exceeding 125 percent of his $19,490,625 million salary he'll earn this season.

Bryant has a 15-percent trade kicker in his contract the team that acquires him has to pick up for $13,289,062 million that would be amortized over the last four years of his contract.

Bryant has an "early termination option" in his contract which allows him to opt out after the 2009 season, meaning he could leave the Lakers without the team getting any compensation.

He has four years and $88,593,750 million left on his contract.

Injury Updates

Kwame Brown said Friday he will see a doctor Monday to determine when he'll have surgery on his right shoulder. Brown had reconstructive surgery on his left ankle May 29 and is expected to be out at least four months.

Brown, who missed most of training camp and the first seven regular-season games with a bruised rotator cuff and bursitis in his right shoulder, said the procedure would leave him rehabilitating for three months.

Lamar Odom, who had surgery last month to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, said Friday he doesn't think he'll have surgery on his sore right knee. Odom said he'll get an MRI in the next week or two to determine what course he should take.

But Odom said in a phone interview that "I hope the knee heals on its own."

Odom, Andrew Bynum and the Lakers' No. 1 draft pick (19) frequently have been mentioned in trade rumors for Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal. But two sources said the deal probably won't happen.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Bryant sounding Bull-ish?
Lakers superstar reportedly repeats demand for trade

By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 16, 2007, 10:06 PM CDT

The Bulls put Mike Conley Jr. through a draft workout Saturday at the Berto Center, but the Ohio State point guard's real challenge was trying to keep Kobe Bryant out of the headlines.

As often happens with the dynamic Lakers star, Bryant prevailed.

The Los Angeles Times and Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise, citing sources, reported that in a meeting with Lakers owner Jerry Buss on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, Bryant had reiterated the trade demand he first made three weeks ago.

The Press-Enterprise, again citing sources, said Bryant, the only NBA player with a no-trade clause, has a three-team wish list that includes the Bulls and Knicks.

For now, the Bulls are working under the assumption the Lakers have no desire to deal their nine-time All-Star guard. That stance is supported by a statement Buss released two weeks ago.

Should Lakers management change its mind and pursue trade options, the Bulls, like any NBA team, would have interest.

But depleting the roster of multiple assets like Luol Deng and Ben Gordon to match Bryant's $19.5 million salary likely would give general manager John Paxson pause.

The Bulls first impressed Bryant when Paxson and club Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met him and agent Rob Pelinka in Newport Beach, Calif., on July 6, 2004, the summer of Bryant's free agency.

Their pitch included the Bulls' philosophy of accountability under Paxson and coach Scott Skiles, the chance to follow in Michael Jordan's footsteps, a growing talent base and the city of Chicago.

Bryant, who would have had to force a sign-and-trade deal from the Lakers, also was said to be impressed that Bulls officials kept the visit quiet for eight days.

Ultimately, Bryant re-signed with the Lakers for seven years and $136.4 million, of which four years and $88.6 million remain.

Bryant also can opt out of his deal after the 2008-09 season, making any deal for the two-time scoring champion a risk.

As for Conley Jr., some might say working out for the Bulls is superfluous, given that virtually every mock draft has the crafty point guard gone by the ninth pick.

Olympic gold medalist Mike Conley Sr., who is advising his son, eloquently addressed the Bulls' decision to do so.

"I'm biased because I grew up in Chicago and I would love nothing more than to have my son play here," said Conley Sr., a Luther South graduate. "It's a great organization and a team that's on the cusp of doing special things.

"It would be a great situation for Mike. It may be an outside shot, but it's a shot worth taking."

Adding the 6-foot-1-inch Conley Jr. to an already smallish backcourt would seem a long shot for the Bulls, even if the Ohio State freshman is the top-rated point guard.

But Paxson and his staff have worked out the top three point guards, doing due diligence in case trade opportunities arise with current or prospective assets on draft night June 28.

"The Bulls' style is up-and-down, really guard-oriented and unselfish," Conley Jr. said. "I like that about their team and personnel. I feel I'm the same type of player."

Acquiring a low-post scorer remains the Bulls' biggest wish. Other than, you know, acquiring Bryant for a song.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

From Kobe's website:

The Truth: A new road ahead

June 17 :: 2007

Wassup y'all ...

Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family. When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING. That is plain and simply what it's all about. It's in my DNA. It's what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It's my daily passion and pursuit.

The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future. The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent. I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series. All of that was frustrating in itself, but then, this week to have someone "inside" the Laker organization try to blame me in the media for us not being a contender right now -- that is what brought me to my current position today.

I want it to be clear that I still love, with all my heart, the Laker Legacy. From Mikan to West to Goodrich to Wilt to Kareem to Magic. That will never change. And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that.

But, now there is a new road ahead. I am gonna keep grindin and keep workin to get back to competing for Championships. Sometimes the trek up the mountain is tough. But, I know we'll get there.

Strength and Honor,
Kobe

 

[cranrab]

RF,

you slippin' man!

you were 4 hours behind me on posting the barcelona update, and i posted that tobe blog entry like 3 weeks ago!

but keep it up!

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

RF,

you slippin' man!

you were 4 hours behind me on posting the barcelona update, and i posted that tobe blog entry like 3 weeks ago!

but keep it up!

My bad on the first one..and espn said that he just updated his blog today. (check the date.)

 

[cranrab]

Re: tobe asks for trade, then backtracks slightly

My bad on the first one..and espn said that he just updated his blog today. (check the date.)

i just checked his website, and of course, the shoddy quality extends to off-court enterprises as well.

the blog you posted is the same as the one i posted almost 3 weeks ago. but it had the date mislabeled. i remember it because tobe's closing remarks made me LMAO (strength and honor) in light of how he has been behaving like a bitch in the media.

the update to the blog that should have TODAY'S date was a video of tobe in spain with his favorite soccer team.

 

[cranrab]

Re: spineless tobe

here is the same blog i posted on BGOL 18 days ago:

http://198.65.131.81/board/showpost.php?p=2352830&postcount=46

still as funny as it was then. strength and honor, GTFOH! LOL!

 

[Spectrum]

Re: spineless tobe

still as funny as it was then. strength and honor, GTFOH! LOL!

The irony

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Re: tobe asks for trade, then backtracks slightly

i just checked his website, and of course, the shoddy quality extends to off-court enterprises as well.

the blog you posted is the same as the one i posted almost 3 weeks ago. but it had the date mislabeled. i remember it because tobe's closing remarks made me LMAO (strength and honor) in light of how he has been behaving like a bitch in the media.

the update to the blog that should have TODAY'S date was a video of tobe in spain with his favorite soccer team.

Kobe's Blog Post Several Weeks Old; Fan Posts Today
18th June, 2007 - 5:38 pm
Los Angeles Daily News -
Kobe Bryant's widely reported blog post was not written on Sunday as believed, but several weeks ago.

Bryant posted his blog on the evening where he said he wants to be traded on the Stephen A. Smith Radio Show.

The statement has remained near the top of Bryant's Web site for almost three weeks, the date of its posting changed periodically for no apparent reason.

Today, in the section where Bryant typically posts his own thoughts, the KB24.com Web site publishes a number of forum posts from visitors to Bryant's site. These posts are generally critical of Lakers management and supportive of Bryant's desire to be traded.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Lakers unmoved by Kobe's on-camera criticism of club

ESPN.com news services

LOS ANGELES -- Intentional or not, Kobe Bryant seems to be doing everything he can to pressure the Los Angeles Lakers into trading him.

Kobe Bryant is frustrated and clearly venting about his situation with the Lakers, but the individuals who recorded the short video did a terrible thing by sneakily taping Bryant's latest rant. TrueHoop

So far, it doesn't appear to be working.

The latest twist in the Bryant saga involves an amateur video of the nine-time All-Star denouncing general manager Mitch Kupchak and teammate Andrew Bynum.

Lakers spokesman John Black said the team was contacted about the video before Bryant first requested to be traded on May 30.

"It doesn't change our stance at all," Black said a day after saying essentially the same thing -- that the team has no plans to trade the two-time defending NBA scoring champion.

"These people called us about a month ago, they told us they wanted to sell it, we told them we had no interest in buying it," Black said. "That's the end of the story. There's been no further contact between them and us."

A spokesman for the men trying to peddle the video to media outlets told the New York Times they were talking with Bryant when one decided to take a photograph and some video, but they didn't believe Bryant was aware they were filming.

The men did offer to sell the video to ESPN, but the network declined.

According to the Times, the video lasts 24 seconds -- an interesting coincidence since Bryant wears No. 24 and his personal web site is www.kb24.com.

The Lakers passed up a possible opportunity to acquire star guard Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets at the trade deadline in February because they didn't want to part with the 19-year-old Bynum -- a 7-footer taken with the 10th overall pick in the draft two years ago.

"Are you kidding me?" Bryant says in the video before using several profanities in adding that the Lakers should "ship out" Bynum.

Bryant also spoke in negative tones about Kupchak. Bryant called the Lakers' front office "a mess" in a radio interview the day before first making public his desire to be traded.

The Times said the video's owners turned down an offer from a Lakers fan to buy it and keep it private. Instead, the newspaper said, they plan to make it public by the end of the week provided enough money can be raised through Web donations, then charge $1.99 through their Web site.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss spoke with Bryant by telephone a day after the trade request and issued a statement saying: "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with [Bryant] as the cornerstone."

Owner and player met face-to-face last Friday in Barcelona, and while Black declined to reveal details, the Los Angeles Times and Riverside Press-Enterprise quoted sources as saying Bryant still wanted out.

On the day he made his initial trade request, Bryant backed off somewhat after speaking with Lakers coach Phil Jackson, although that turned out to be a temporary stance.

Jackson told the Los Angeles Times he believes Bryant will remain with the team.

"He's made a decision that he feels justified to hold -- one that I've questioned -- that he has reasons to leave the Lakers," Jackson wrote in an e-mail published Tuesday. "However, it's my unshakable feeling that Kobe will be a Laker next October -- when training camp opens."

Bryant has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he would have a say in where he goes should the Lakers ultimately make such a decision.

Several messages left for Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, haven't been returned. Pelinka told ESPN.com late last week that his client's position "remains unchanged. Kobe would like to be moved."

Bryant, who turns 29 in August, has four years remaining on his contract worth $88.6 million, although he can terminate the deal in two years.