The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of their best wins of the season Friday night when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs on the road, 112-110. The game ended up going to overtime and thanks to a Nick Young three in the closing seconds, the Lakers claimed their seventh win of the season.
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Kobe Bryant finished the game with 22 points and nine assists to go along with four steals, while Young scored 29 points off the bench, including the game winner. Leading up to the game, a lot had been made of Kobe’s aggressive attitude in the Lakers’ practice when he called out his teammates for being “soft.”
Following the win, Bryant spoke to the media and talked about his overall demeanor and approach to basketball via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe again on trash talk (1/2): “We can all criticize my style of leadership all day long. It’s uncomfortable, its whatever you want to say
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 13, 2014
Kobe on trashtalk (2/2):”We play this game to win championships & I have 5 of them. It’s worked pretty well throughout my career.” (on TWC)
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 13, 2014
Bryant has a no-nonsense attitude when on the court and he expects the same from his teammates. Although some simply cannot play with Kobe because of the pressure he puts on those around him, those that have embraced the mindset have had immense success.
The Lakers will be looking to etch their third consecutive victory on Sunday when they travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves. The Wolves escaped with a two point win the last time they were in Los Angeles, so Kobe will be looking for revenge as well as sole possession of third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
[divide]Lakers Practice: Kobe Bryant’s Trash-Talking And Intensity