Brandon Bass wrapped up his 11th season in the NBA – and his first one with the Lakers – having appeared in 66 games and averaging in 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 20.3 minutes per game. Bass shot 54.9 percent from the field and 84.5 percent at the line.
Below is a summary of his exit interview with assembled media on Thursday:
On his future: “Today I talked to my agent and we’ll see what’s best for me and my family, and we’ll see what happens. Definitely I enjoyed this season, a very challenging season, but I feel you have to take the good with the bad and make the best of any situation”.
On his slow start: “The first month or two I pressed like crazy, and that’s why I played so poorly. As I adjusted, I played better and got more comfortable. I embraced the challenge I was in. That’s why I think I finished pretty strong”.
On his versatility: “I’m a basketball player, so I feel like I can play the “6 spot”. I dedicate my life to the game. Over the year I played the ‘5’. I did it in Dallas, and in Boston with KG. Coach asked me to do it and it was normal, it was cool. I worked on my handles, and maybe I can play the ‘3’ down the road”.
On the future of the team: “I see the start of the rebuild. I think the veteran leadership we had helped him. Guys like Metta, Lou, myself, Kobe picked their spots to teach them. I think the young guys will have a good year next year”.
On Randle’s season: “Julius had a great year. He needs to work on learning how to play the game. Him learning little details about the game, he’ll play much better and the game will be a lot easier. Same thing with JC. Those guys are very talented, and with more experience they’ll take their games to another level”.
On the champagne celebration post-game: “It was a party. I didn’t think Kobe would be so hot that he would need (the champagne). I just thought it, talked to Metta, talked to Lou, and they were cool. The assistant equipment managers took care of it”.