Following the announcement that Kobe Bryant would miss the rest of the season, the five-time NBA champion talked to the media on Wednesday and had some interesting things to say.
Kobe talked about a number of different topics from Phil Jackson, wanting to be a contender next season, and the relationship between Jeanie and Jim Buss.
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As for Jackson, the writing appears to be on the wall that he’s headed to the New York Knicks, but the superstar let it be known that things need to be figured out in the front office according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe on changes needed to start at the top, "You gotta start with Jim. You gotta start with Jim & Jeanie and how that all relationship…"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 12, 2014
Kobe continued: "plays out & it it starts there & having a clear direction & clear authority & then it goes down to the coaching staff…"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 12, 2014
Kobe finishes: "And, what's mike going to do? What they want to do with Mike? And then it goes from there, it's got to start at the top."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 12, 2014
Obviously, Kobe isn’t happy with the current state of the Lakers franchise and the direction it is headed in. Although Kobe has had a lot of faith in the decisions made by the Buss family in the past, the superstar signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension with the team in hopes of winning a sixth ring.
Apparently, the patience of the superstar guard has worn thin during this long recovery process from both the Achilles and knee injuries.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni’s future also seems to hang in the balance with the team attempting to turn it around. Rumors have started to circulate about D’Antoni being on his way out this summer, but everything appears to be speculation at this point in time with no telling what the true intentions of the team are moving forward.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Buss family and Mitch Kupchak react to Kobe’s comments.
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