The Los Angeles Lakers have a number of appealing options with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and according to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, superstar Kobe Bryant won't have much say in whom they pick.
"He's never been great with rookies," Kupchak said of Bryant. "Rookies have come to expect Kobe's glare, Kobe ignoring him in the locker room and saying things."
While Bryant has tremendous sway within the Lakers organization, Kupchak said that they will not base their choice off of the rookie's potential to either mesh or clash with Bryant. At 36 years old Bryant has already logged 19 NBA seasons, and the 2015-16 campaign could be his last. The Lakers' pick must be a player that they feel can take the torch as a cornerstone player, not a complementary piece.
"We're not going to pick a player because he can play with Kobe, likes Kobe or dislikes Kobe," Kupchak said. "We're going to pick the player that can have the longest and best career."
Most mock drafts have the Lakers selection Duke center Jahlil Okafor second, although he has the potential to go No. 1 overall. He and fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns out of Kentucky are expected to go first and second in some order. Okafor believes he is ready for any tongue lashings from Bryant and welcomes the learning experience.
"I love it. I'll be ready for that," Okafor said. "He wants to win. Hopefully when I come here, he'll be super hard on me."
Okafor also said that he could stand to benefit from Bryant's confidence even in the face of inefficient games.
"People always talk about how he could miss two to three shots, but he's fine. He knows he's going to make the next one," Okafor said. "Sometimes I get down on myself. So if I had the opportunity to see what is going through his head when he misses, that would definitely benefit me."
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