Kobe Bryant only played nine minutes in the Lakers’ victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, but that didn’t prevent him from having an entertaining press conference. The 20-year veteran waxed on about several topics, including the growth of the team, Lamar Odom’s return to Staples Center and his relationship with Dwyane Wade, who made a surprise appearance.
Below is a full transcript of Bryant’s comments.
Q: On coming out of the game after playing only nine minutes:
Bryant: Man, that ball changed sides of the floor, they had a fast-break and I thought about sprinting and getting back, and I couldn’t go. After that I was like, “You know, let me sit this thing down before I really hurt something.”
Q: On the additional wraps that he had on his shoulder:
Bryant: I was trying to loosen up, so I used a lot of heat packs to try to loosen up the muscles and joints and try to get them firing. But there was no hope tonight.
Q: On what parts of his body were bothering him:
Bryant: Everything: my shoulders, my knees, ankles.
Q: On Julius Randle making the game-winning shot:
Bryant: It felt good to see him do that. I think it’s a big confidence booster for him to be able to deliver in those situations. When you attack with great confidence, it’s good to see and I was happy for him.
Q: On D’Angelo Russell and the young players being able to close out the game after the day’s controversy:
Bryant: I think so. It’s always tough. Any adversity’s always tough, especially when you have a group of young guys. But it all comes back to the game. You have to be able to focus on the task at hand and stay in the moment and be professional and responsible and go out there and do your job.
Q: On keeping that mentality of focusing on the game:
Bryant: It’s got nothing to do with the game. There’s a lot of things in life that you can’t control. The things that you can control, you try to do it to the best of your ability. Your personal life may be going to s—, but that doesn’t mean the game is. You’ve got to win something. You lose on the court and then it just makes your day go really, really awful.
Q: On his perspective of the incident:
Bryant: It’s just unfortunate, man. It’s tough. I think there’s a lot to learn from that. I’m sure (Russell) is, and I’m sure he’ll evolve and he’ll grow and he’ll be better from it. I don’t think there’s much he can do about it now outside of the countless apologies. There’s not really anything else to do but just continue to perform, continue to win the trust of his teammates and peers. Onward he goes.
Q: On how much the incident affects the team’s trust in Russell:
Bryant: You talk to the guys tonight, and I think the guys are understanding. I think we’re all human beings. I don’t think anybody can really hold anybody to strict judgment, because everybody makes mistakes. And I think if we’re being honest with ourselves and we’re sincerely self-assessing, I think we’ll realize that we’ve all made mistakes and we’ve all made massive ones at times. I think the important thing is to show compassion, empathy and help him grow — help us grow as a team and as a unit.
Q: On whether how well Russell plays helps progress past the issue:
Bryant: I look at them as separate things. I think it may help him deal with it internally — in terms of peace of mind or kind of an escape or something like that. Honestly, they are separate.
Q: On former teammate Lamar Odom sitting courtside:
Bryant: It was just like old times. We talked before the game, we talked after the game. It was great just to talk basketball with him and just to talk trash. It was good. It’s unbelievable.
Q: On being able to see Odom walk around and interact publicly after his life-threatening situation in October:
Bryant: Tremendous is an understatement. It’s an understatement. It’s a miracle, honestly. In Vegas he was (pause). To see him walk around now as if nothing even happened, it’s really a miracle. It’s beyond good to see him.
Q: On whether a situation like Odom’s puts life into perspective for him:
Bryant: Yeah, I think it’s also an indication of how fast time goes. Like today with the D’Angelo stuff and Nick (Young) stuff: As time goes on, that stuff will fade as well. Relationships will be mended and people will grow. But at the moment in time, it just seems like there’s no hope (or) light at the end of the tunnel, but there always is. I think Lamar’s situation is a great representation of that. What he was facing — literally, there was like no hope — and to see him the way he’s moving today is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Then to think like it was yesterday we were out here winning championships; it’s amazing how fast things go. And when things seem like they’re at their absolute darkest, there’s always light. Even if you can’t see it, it’s there.
Q: On whether that’s something he tells Russell:
Bryant: I tell him that. I had a chance to talk to him earlier today. All I can do is just do myself Yoda impersonations and give him that kind of sage advice, I guess. “One day, pass this shall,” or something like that.
Q: On the emotions of his day considering the Russell situation and seeing Odom:
Bryant: I’m able to detach and stay in the moment. I’ve seen a lot. I understand that these things come and then they go. I’m able to have a really broad perspective on these things, kind of a bird’s-eye view on these things. But kicking it with Lamar, for me, is by far the best.
Q: On what Gary Vitti has meant to his career:
Bryant: It’s hard to put in words. He and I have been close from day one. Back then, you didn’t have as big of a training staff that you do now. He was a team of one. He handled everything. That includes running 17s with me, and he did. He still had hair. He had the big mustache. We forged a bond our first day of training camp in Hawaii, and we’ve been close ever since. Mind you, I grew up watching all the Lakers videos. I watched the instructional video that he had out there about training and therapy and all this other stuff. It’s pretty cool for me, because he was already a legend in my eyes. To have had this relationship with him all these years and to be going out at the same time is pretty sweet.
Q: On what moments with Vitti stand out to him most:
Bryant: Indiana. That’s the one, because I should not have played that (2000 NBA Finals) series. I could not. My ankle was done. I sat out the first game up there in Indiana. Next day in practice, I could barely walk and he’s moving my ankle. All of a sudden you just hear this loud pop. We just looked at each other and said, “OK, this is either really good or really bad.” He said, “Get up and walk around.” I started walking around and said, “Oh damn, you fixed it!” He was like, “Cool, now sit down!” (laughs) And I was able to finish the series. That’s the one that sticks out the most. But there’s countless others. The flu, Sacramento — those stories, there’s a lot of good ones.
*Dwyane Wade crashes the press conference:
Wade: We’ve got the kids waiting on you. Come on.
Bryant: I’m with you.
Wade: (To the media) He’s gotta go. We’ve got some business to talk about and kids waiting.
Bryant: By the way, he knows he’s gonna be the oldest guy in the league next year (laughs).
Wade: I told your wife I was coming to get you, so I did my job.
Q: On playing against Wade through the years:
Bryant: Man, I love him. Because he was a vicious competitor. He’s vicious. He’s mean. We could have those type of battles, and then afterwards hang out, have a conversation, then lace them up and go right back at it. I enjoyed competing against him. The hardest player I’ve ever had to guard in a screen- and-roll. He could come off a screen and just disappear.
Q: On what he hopes Odom takes away from the night after being back at Staples Center and having the crowd cheer for him:
Bryant: I think just the feeling of being back home. This is home for him. It’s been this way for many, many years. Just the feeling of being home and being loved, because we all love him and that’s never gonna change. L.A. loves him. Y’all appreciate the championships that he brought here. Without him, there’s no way we win any of these titles.
Q: On inviting Odom to the game:
Bryant: Yeah, he’s like a brother. That’s our guy, so it’s all good.