Laker News

Disgruntled Lakers guard Kobe Bryant met with Lakers owner Jerry Buss on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, and reiterated his demand to be traded, two league sources said.

Buss was shocked by Bryant's continued and defiant stance, the sources said, and left the meeting unsure if he would give in to Bryant's demands or if he would keep the All-Star, knowing it'll be "impossible" to get equal value in return.

Bryant began his campaign to force a trade almost three weeks ago by venting in a barrage of interviews on radio stations and in newspapers.

His last public comments had him wanting to be traded, rescinding those demands and then still wanting to be traded, all coming on the same day.

Bryant is the only NBA player with a no-trade clause in his contract. He had said he would waive that clause. But he could make a trade more difficult because he has a three-team wish list, the sources said. Two of the teams are the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

One report had the Lakers hoping to acquire Bulls center Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Chicago's No. 1 draft pick (9) for Bryant.

But the sources said every team, including the Bulls, knows the Lakers will try to "gut" a team in order to get as much value as possible for Bryant.

Bryant could also veto a trade if he thinks the team has to give up too many players, which, the sources said, could also make a trade more difficult.

For a team to acquire Bryant, it cannot swap one or more players exceeding 125 percent of his $19,490,625 million salary he'll earn this season.

Bryant has a 15-percent trade kicker in his contract the team that acquires him has to pick up for $13,289,062 million that would be amortized over the last four years of his contract.

Bryant has an "early termination option" in his contract which allows him to opt out after the 2009 season, meaning he could leave the Lakers without the team getting any compensation.

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"I talked with Kobe this morning and assured him that I share his frustration and, more importantly, I assured him that we will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone," Buss said in a statement. "I told him that we will keep him apprised of our progress and we agreed that we will talk again in the very near future."

"I don't want to go anywhere -- this is my team," Bryant told KLAC radio. "I love it here. I called Phil, man. He and I talked; it was an emotional conversation. But he just said, 'You know what, Kobe? Let us try to figure this thing out."'

Kobe: "I would like to be traded."

Kobe Bryant tells Stephen A. Smith on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York that he wants to be traded from the Lakers -- and that there's nothing the Lakers can do to change his mind. Listen

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

Bryant, interviewed by Stephen A. Smith, was asked if there was anything the Lakers could do to change his mind.

"No," Bryant said. "I just want them to do the right thing."

"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."

Asked if he had any preference for a trade destination, he said "At this point I'll go play on Pluto."

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Bryant had one of his shakiest games of the season, shooting 7 of 26 from the field and scoring 17 points. For the second consecutive game, Bryant was muted in the fourth quarter against a defense totally bent toward him.

“The challenge we’re facing now is the other guys have just got to make plays,” Bryant said of his teammates.

According to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Bryant was so irritated by the team blowing its game to the Clippers on Thursday night that “he was challenging his players after the game” before calming down. Jackson followed it up with his own challenge, saying: “If they’re going to finish games like they finished games the last three or four games where we can’t produce in the fourth quarter, why should we go in the playoffs? We’re just going to be four and out in that situation.”

“For us to win games as of late, I’ve got to be on,” Bryant said. “If that shot’s not falling, we struggle. If teams are going to double- and triple-team me, other guys have to step up.”

Bryant did praise his teammates for playing hard, and one thing Jackson likes about his team is its “camaraderie” – even if he joked before the game: “I’ve enjoyed coaching this team. The guys have a good time. I told ’em they have too much fun together. They enjoy each other’s company. It might be a problem.”

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According to Usmagazine.com, sources say Spears nodded in agreement when her cousin Alli told photographers that she is the gal with the hots for Walton, and it was she who dragged the recently rehabbed Spears to three Lakers games in just over a week. Unfortunately for Alli…Lakers flak John Black told Us Weekly that "Luke has a girlfriend."

Spears, 25, has been spending a lot of time with her cousin since returning from her weekend retreat in Las Vegas. The two hit the Epitome Salon in Beverly Hills, then drove all over town, blasting Nelly Furtado's CD, while sipping Starbucks and shopping for kids' clothes for Spears' sons.

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"It shouldn't even have been a flagrant 1," Jackson told reporters at the Lakers' El Segundo practice facility. "That's crazy. That's a vendetta. They have a witch hunt going on. It's nuts. Guys riding somebody. Everybody does that in this league.

"It's just becoming a witch hunt now."

Jackson, who was fined $25,000 by the league earlier this season for criticizing officiating, could be penalized again for the remarks.

Bryant, who is double and triple-teamed by opponents most of the time, wasn't called for the flagrant foul during the game. It was called by the NBA several days later after officials reviewed tapes.

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Odom was expected to take another week or two to decide his future — play through the pain, undergo season-ending surgery or defer another couple of weeks — but said the shoulder had "gotten stronger the last couple of days … faster than I thought."

He was cleared by team doctor Steve Lombardo, but, indeed, there will be some discomfort.

"So what?" Odom said. "I can do a chin-up right now [and] push-ups. It's strong enough to hold up, so I'll be all right. I will play on Thursday, no doubt about it."

Ronny Turiaf returned Sunday after a two-game absence because of back problems and Luke Walton said he would play Thursday against Denver.

Walton suited up for Sunday's game but did not play. He has missed 21 games because of a sprained right ankle and tendinitis in the ankle.

"This is the best it's felt since I got hurt," Walton said.

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The play elicited no response because it occurred during a scrimmage Tuesday. But it was a positive sign for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"He looked great, he looked really good. I didn't know what to expect," Kobe Bryant said following Odom's first practice with the Lakers since he sprained a ligament in his right knee Dec. 12.

Not only did Odom get through practice with no glitches, he said afterward he expects to play Friday night when the Lakers return to action against the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center.

"Right now, I have confidence in my body," he said. "I tried to push it at 100 percent. That's what you have to do in games. I tried to wait until my leg was stable and strong. It felt good to get back on the court.

"Hopefully I can practice a couple more days in a row and play Friday."

Meanwhile, the news wasn't nearly as good regarding Kwame Brown, who was unable to get through his first practice since spraining his right ankle Dec. 31. The 6-11 Brown, averaging 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, had said before Monday night's 108-103 victory over Golden State that he hoped to return Friday night as well. But that won't happen.

"It's a little sore," he said. "I practiced a little bit today, I couldn't really jump. It flared up on me. I have to take a few steps back. We'll see what happens with some rest, let it calm down. We've been real aggressive with it this week."

The Lakers (27-15) have performed surprisingly well despite the injuries, going 12-9 since Odom got hurt and 7-4 with Odom and Brown sidelined.

"We've missed them tremendously," Bryant said. "That's why we've been inconsistent. That being said, we've played really well."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he's optimistic concerning Odom, but added: "It's always about how it's going to be between now and tomorrow morning."

Odom didn't appear to have any problems regarding conditioning during Tuesday's scrimmage.

"It still takes some time, your timing is off," he said.

Jackson said he hopes Brown will return to action during the Lakers' eight-game road trip that begins next Tuesday night in New York.

"I would love to have him for the San Antonio (home) game on Sunday," Jackson said. "That would be a big advance for our team."

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Bryant had just three points in the first quarter but scored 17 in the second.

"This is a tough place to play. A tough place to play. For us to come in here and win is big for us. I'm sure it's not that big a deal for San Antonio, but it's big for us," he said.

The Spurs continue to struggle, falling to 5-5 in their last 10 games.

"We are not even able to win at home as regular as we used to," said Manu Ginobili, who had 16 points. "We really got to step up."

"San Antonio is a little hurt, they're playing a little down right now," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We caught a team that didn't shoot the ball very well down the stretch. We're happy for the win, but we're not going to crown ourselves just yet."

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