Kobe wants Jerry West to return as Lakers GM or he wants out of L.A.

[Chuck~Taylor]

In other news, Shaq came out and agreed with Kobe 100% on the fact that Buss was the one who kicked him out of town.

You have a link that substantiates this?

I'll try to look for it.
I first saw it on SC and then I heard it on The Jim Rome Show.

Stephen A Smith asked him about Kobe's comments on Buss and Shaq interrupted him without finishing his question and said that he agreed with Kobe 100%.

 

[broadway joe]

Kobe is so full of shirt. He may not have run Shaq out of town, but does he really expect anyone to believe that the mutual hatred between him and Shaq had nothing to do with Shaq getting traded? Shaq wanted that humongous extension largely because he was in a power struggle with Kobe, and Buss did the only logical thing by choosing to go with Kobe because he had far more good years left in him than Shaq did. Kobe was fine with that at the time, because he wanted to be the man and because he thought he didn't need Shaq in order to keep contending for championships. He didn't listen to the people inside and outside the organization who told him that if he and Shaq could just learn to tolerate each other, they could keep winning titles. Now, because he's finally figured out that it is kind of helpful to have a 350-pound monster dominating the paint after all, and that it's no fun being the star of a mediocre team, he wants to bolt on the Lakers. Kobe had a great thing going and he forked it up because his ego was out of control. Now he wants to pretend that he had nothing to do with creating this mess. fork him.

Unless he gets traded to the Knicks, in which case I'm getting season tickets.

 

[GimpyScribe]

This is what happens when you have a meek pushover (Kupchak), an owner who's old and doesn't seem to give a fork anymore (Jerry Buss), thus allowing his never played/never coached son to get his scavengar paws all over the team (Jim Buss).

As a Laker fan, am I happy that Kobe Bryant is doing this? No, not at all.
But, putting myself in his place, I can understand it. Shaq validating it is just the icing on the cake and should tell everyone what's what.

 

[pseudo]

WWL has it:

In response to the Times' story, Bryant, interviewed by Smith for a Philadelphia Inquirer column, said Buss "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season.

"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here [in Newport Beach, Calif.] across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant told Smith. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in heck. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait.

"This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.'"

"I believe Kobe 100 percent," O'Neal said when reached in Los Angeles. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent.

"I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me."

ESPN.com: Kobe Bryant fuming, demanding trade from Lakers

 

[IU90]

Unless he gets traded to the Knicks, in which case I'm getting season tickets.

Kobe with the Knicks is the NBA's wet dream, the only thing that wouldn't make them wince at the thought of him leaving LA.

Even if the Knicks kept sucking, it would at least make them relevant agan and get the NY media machine focused squarely on the NBA again, something the league desperately wants. If Stern has any way of helping that happen, he will. But Isiah's probably made it impossible by clogging up NY's salary space with his past dumb trades for overpaid aging vets.

 

[GimpyScribe]

According to Stephen A. Smith, Shaq told him as recently as 18 months ago, he feels the Lakers have "set up and manipulated" Kobe Bryant and he actually feels sorry for him.
You know the apocalypse is coming when Shaq and Kobe are lovers again.

 

[jakewriter82]

Wouldn't it be interesting if Seattle traded the second and 31st overall draft picks for Kobe.
The Sonics would get one of the best players in the league to go with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, who'd be more apt to re-sign if they brought in Kobe, and then LA would get the rights to Kevin Durant and probably the 31st pick. People seem to be all up in arms about both Durant and Oden going to the pacific northwest anyway because Portland and Seattle are so far away from the rest of the league, so Durant to LA would give him more exposure in that regard.

 

[rokski2]

Kobe is so full of shirt. He may not have run Shaq out of town, but does he really expect anyone to believe that the mutual hatred between him and Shaq had nothing to do with Shaq getting traded? Shaq wanted that humongous extension largely because he was in a power struggle with Kobe, and Buss did the only logical thing by choosing to go with Kobe because he had far more good years left in him than Shaq did. Kobe was fine with that at the time, because he wanted to be the man and because he thought he didn't need Shaq in order to keep contending for championships. He didn't listen to the people inside and outside the organization who told him that if he and Shaq could just learn to tolerate each other, they could keep winning titles. Now, because he's finally figured out that it is kind of helpful to have a 350-pound monster dominating the paint after all, and that it's no fun being the star of a mediocre team, he wants to bolt on the Lakers. Kobe had a great thing going and he forked it up because his ego was out of control. Now he wants to pretend that he had nothing to do with creating this mess. fork him.

Unless he gets traded to the Knicks, in which case I'm getting season tickets.

You said it all, man. Buss probably said what he said, but he likely doesn't say it/come to that decision without all the Kobe/Shaq acrimony. To pretend that this doesn't have anything to do with Buss' decision is ridiculous.

More drama with the Drama Queen. Kobe doesn't care about anything but Kobe. He wants out of the West because he's not going anywhere. You got what you wanted, Kobe, and now you want out. Weak.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Kobe to the Clippers. See how the fans treat him -- or how many Lakers fans become Clipper fans overnight.

Like the Lakers would ever trade him to the other team in The Staples Center.

fixed.

I think it's hilarious. I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth. He'll change his mind. And he'll be a big baby again if he isn't averaging 35 shots a game even if the Lakers are winning.

Karma's a bench, mr. sexual assault. Deserves whatever he gets.

The Lakers should trade him to the Grizzlies so he's stuck in Memphis. I wonder how many big name players would want to play with him with his reputation anyway.

 

[Left_Coast]

He has a no-trade clause so if they decide to trade him, he has to approve it.

 

[Left_Coast]

According to Stephen A. Smith, Shaq told him as recently as 18 months ago, he feels the Lakers have "set up and manipulated" Kobe Bryant and he actually feels sorry for him.
You know the apocalypse is coming when Shaq and Kobe are lovers again.

And that the only person in the Laker front office Kobe "trusts" is .... Phil.

 

[Bob Slydell]

He has a no-trade clause so if they decide to trade him, he has to approve it.

I pray for the Knicks then. He'll LOVE it there with their winning ways. Where would he go exactly. It would have to involve another max, or close to max, player woudln't it?