Over his 18-year career, Kobe Bryant has made a habit out of giving management an earful about his unhappiness with the moves of the team's brass at times, however he has opened up communications with the team and believes the future is bright in Los Angeles as far as the Lakers are concerned.
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Bryant, who has been officially ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured right knee, spoke to team brass after publicly expressing frustration and he seems convinced the team will get back to championship glory soon after missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2005.
"Jimmy [executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss] and I actually talked after that and it's important for us to have that conversation because this is their team, it's been in their family for years and we all know what the track record is for that, but I've also been part of this franchise since I was 17 years old," Bryant told ESPN. "I feel like I bleed purple and gold and I want to see this franchise be successful. I don't want to hear the comments of dissension between Jim and [Lakers president] Jeanie [Buss]. We need to figure this thing out. We're all moving in the same direction."
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Bryant, who signed a two-year $48.5 million extension in November to guarantee a 20th season with the team, said his message to Buss was clear and that the team needs to return to championship form as soon as possible.
"This organization is just not going to go [down]," Bryant said, according to ESPN. "It's not going to take a nose dive. But I think we need to accelerate it a little bit for selfish reasons, because I want to win and I want to win next season. So, it's kind of getting them going now as opposed to two years from now."
While Bryant and team management have often butted heads for years over the moves that the franchise makes, the five-time NBA champion insisted he is more confident than ever that the team will make the necessary moves this offseason to get back to the Promised Land.
"Extremely confident," Bryant said about the team's abilities to make the right moves via ESPN. "That was one of my concerns [when he re-signed] and they assured me, 'This is fair for you for everything you've done for the franchise and will continue to do while being able to construct a team that is going to contend for a championship here over the next couple of years.'"
Bryant has appeared in just six games this season due to a rash of injuries as the Lakers have stumbled to a 23-46 record and are on pace to eclipse the franchise record for futility, a 30-52 mark in 1974-75. Bryant is eager to forget this season and try to return to form next year.
"We might have had the worst season ever or could have the worst season ever for a Lakers team," he told ESPN, "but now let's have the greatest comeback that the league has ever seen"
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