How Kobe Bryant once went on air with Stephen A. Smith to say he wanted "out" of the Lakers
Back on May 30, 2007, Kobe Bryant did an interview with Stephen A. Smith on "1050 ESPN Radio". He talked about his preference to be traded from the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I would like to be traded," Bryant said. "And as tough as it is to say that, as tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know. They obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding. I wish they would have told me prior to me re-signing with the team. They obviously want to move in a different direction."
During the radio interview, Bryant did not mince any words when he felt sidetracked by what the Lakers organization promised him. The NBA star remembered re-signing with the team on the notion that the front office would provide him with the proper pieces to contend for a championship.
Much to his surprise that the organization was going in a different direction with a roster rebuild. To make matters worse, Kobe Bryant was not all too pleased when he found out about the manipulative game the organization was playing between him and Shaquille O'Neal, leading to the separation of the two.
Kobe Bryant believes that if Jerry West never left, Shaquille O'Neal would remain with the Lakers
From player to scout, and finally being the Lakers' general manager, Jerry West was responsible for the long-lasting dynasty that the franchise experienced for many years.
The five championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) all had West's imprint on each one with the culture he was able to set in stone. The Lakers legend was also responsible for bringing in Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the team as one of NBA history's most iconic duos.
However, he soon parted ways after the Lakers' success with O'Neal and Bryant and became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002.
Some saw it as his process of recuperating from the stress and pressure endured in laying down the foundation for the organization's success.
Be that as it may, both Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal felt that if the former Lakers general manager did not part ways with the team, they would have remained playing together.
This was discussed in the same radio interview with Stephen A. Smith as it was originally mentioned by Shaquille O'Neal to the ESPN reporter.
"I agree with that because Jerry West ... Jerry West is a no-nonsense guy," Bryant said. "He's not going to deal with people and the organization being 'insiders.' That's not going down under his watch."
It would have been an interesting scenario to look back on if O'Neal and Bryant were able to get past their differences and remain headstrong on the main goal. With West's departure from the franchise, so too did all the possibilities of a reconciliation between the two superstars followed along with him.