Kobe Bryant lashes out at the NBA Owners for the failed Chris Paul – Los Angeles Lakers deal
Kobe Bryant may have gotten over the Chris Paul trade fiasco, but that does not mean that he has forgiven the role of David Stern and the small market NBA owners in nixing the blockbuster trade.
Stern, the NBA commissioner, who is also acting as the man in charge of the ownerless New Orleans Hornets, gunned down a three team deal involving the Lakers, Hornets and the Houston Rockets for what he called ‘basketball reasons’.
According to various reports though, the move was made after a large number of small market owners, especially Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers, objected to the transfer of yet another superstar to the Lakers. Gilbert wrote
a letter to Stern in which he strongly criticized the trade and termed it against the interests of the league.
The infighting between the owners of the trade issue, pretty much exposed the players union claim that the whole NBA lockout episode was due to the difference between the owners. Kobe was quick to remind the fact after the practice
on Thursday;
"I think other owners did not want the Lakers to make significant improvements again," Bryant said
"We always contended as players that the lockout was really more so about the owners fighting amongst themselves, which is what you just saw [with the vetoed trade. You got Chris Paul coming here and the other owners weren't with
that, because you don't want another great player coming to L.A., and all of the sudden Los Angeles has another player that can carry them on well after I retire. So, it's more about the owners bickering amongst themselves."
The whole saga resulted in the trade of Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks, a move which left Kobe frustrated. The Black Mamba however stressed that in Odom’s absence; other players have to step up;
"My message to the guys is, look: L.O. [Odom] is gone, there's nothing we can do about it," Bryant said. "So, other guys have to step up and contribute. Ron [Metta World Peace] has to have more responsibilities, [Devin] Ebanks
has to have more responsibilities and that's just the way it goes."
The team composition of the Lakers is nearly the same to the one which won two championships and made one NBA Finals appearance in the last four years and although, they might not be as young and exciting as some of the other teams
around – read the Los Angeles Clippers – they still have the pedigree to win the championship.
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