The Los Angeles Lakers have just completed the worst season in franchise history with a 27-55 record, and general manager Mitch Kupchak wants patience from star Kobe Bryant as the team enters the offseason with a lot of questions to be answered.
Kupchak said that while Bryant is not the most patient person in the world, the Black Mamba's competitiveness has resulted to the team winning five championships during his 18-year stay in Los Angeles. Still, he demands patience from Bryant as the team tries to rebuild from its most forgettable season yet.
Via ESPN.com, Kupchak said: "We want the same thing. We both want to win as much and as soon as possible. But it takes an organization a long time to get in the position that we're in where we have options financially going forward for the next year or two or three and we just have to make wise decisions using that space. If you don't make a wise decision, then you can set yourself back 6-7 years, and we don't want to do that."
The Lakers will have significant salary cap space this summer with only three players -- Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre -- signed for the next season. It will also have a lottery pick which figures to be the highest that the team will have since 1982 when it picked Lakers legend James Worthy.
Despite these developments, Kupchak said the Lakers will have to wait for some time before everything works well for the franchise.
"There is a degree of patience here," Kupchak said. "It's not like we've worked four years to create financial flexibility and now no matter what on July 8 we've got to spend it all or lose it all. We have to make sure that we use it wisely. If we can use it wisely right away, we will. If we have to use part of it and wait a year to use the other part of it, we'll do that."
It can be remembered that the Lakers were also in turmoil in the summer of 2007 when Bryant publicly demanded a trade after years of playoffs futility. A year later, the team traded for big man Pau Gasol who teamed with Bryant for two titles in 2009 and 2010. Asked whether the team can turnaround that quickly, Kupchak said: "I would be happy if it took the same amount of time. I don't want to put a number on the number of summers, but I believe we can. I believe this is an attractive destination. The legacy that Dr. [Jerry] Buss created with this franchise since he bought it in 1979, that goes a long way when you're out there recruiting players. I think that's a big advantage that we have."
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