Kobe Bryant is confident that the Los Angeles Lakers will be back on top in the near future, laughing at all of the bandwagon Warriors fans.
Speaking at the Lakers' annual "All-Access" event at Staples Center on Monday, the five-time NBA champion spoke about LeBron's first season with the Lakers thus far, and encouraged fans that better days are ahead.
"They will figure it out," Bryant said, per ESPN. "They have talented pieces and (Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka) has put them in position with incredible flexibility. They will figure it out. So, enjoy the journey because we'll be champions before you know it, and then we'll just be laughing at all the Warrior fans who all of the sudden came out of nowhere."
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Lakers are currently sitting at 14-9 on the season, having won seven of their last 10 games. LeBron has been typical LeBron, averaging 27.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. As Kobe noted during Monday's "All-Access" event, the four-time NBA MVP is "doing everything" to keep the team afloat while also allowing the younger players to grow.
"It's a test of Bron's patience and also doing what he needs to do to keep the team's head above water," Bryant told Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill MacDonald at the "All-Access" event. "So, it's a balancing act. They were struggling, Bron got the ball, took control, decided to start playing point, doing everything, doing everything.
"That's not the recipe for winning championships by no means, but it is a recipe to keep your head above water, to give yourself a little breathing room, and now it's going back to teaching how to play the way that we want to play."
Of the Lakers' other veterans, Kobe says Rajon Rondo is "a teammate's dream," and described the newly acquired Tyson Chandler as the Black Gandalf. "Tyson's got to be like 80 years old," Bryant said with a laugh, according to ESPN. "This guy doesn't age a lick. He's like black Gandalf with the beard."
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
