Though the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on making a deal with the Boston Celtics for Rajon Rondo, it doesn't mean that star shooting guard Kobe Bryant is planning on quitting his attempts to recruit him.
With the four-time All-Star point guard being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks last month, Bryant said he is still holding out hope that Los Angeles can land him at some point, though the Mavericks believe they can lock him up this summer.
"No way," Bryant told the Boston Herald when asked about giving up on Rondo, an unrestricted free agent this July. "I'm not done. I'm not stopping until he signs an extension."
Rondo was dealt by the Celtics last month to the Mavericks for a package of players and draft picks after being the subject of trade rumors for a long time.
Rondo and Bryant are close with each other, and they met in two NBA Finals with the Celtics winning it all in 2008 and the Lakers getting revenge in 2010.
Bryant, who has sat out games and practices to stay fresh this season, tweaked his shoulder during the Lakers' 96-80 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and is set to undergo an MRI on Thursday.
Bryant downplayed the injury despite the uncertainty over whether he'll play against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
"I've played on a torn labrum before," Bryant told ESPN. "I'm not too concerned about it."
Bryant hurt himself 4:14 into the third quarter when he attempted a dunk. He checked out of the game a few minutes later before eventually returning.
"It felt fine when I went up, didn't feel too good when I came down," he said. "I was trying to figure out what makes it hurt, sitting on the bench, just kind of moving around, trying to figure out what's going to activate it. I couldn't find it. But normally, when I find it, then I know how to play around it."
Lakers coach Byron Scott said he wasn't aware of Bryant's shoulder bothering him. Bryant was playing in his first game in nearly a week after sitting out the last two matches.
While he's been changing up his routine to stay healthy and rumors have emerged he might retire at the end of the season despite being under contract, Bryant shot down the notion he was fatigued.
"We make a lot of it, but the reality is, I'm doing some pretty phenomenal things in 30 minutes," Bryant said. "My body is not that [expletive] up."
The Lakers are sitting at 12-31 and in last place in the Pacific Division.
Bryant, 36, has played in 35 of the team's 43 games and has an average of 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
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