EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Kobe Bryant says it doesn't matter who
coaches the Los Angeles Lakers next season. His main concern is
being prepared to help the team return to prominence.
"I don't care. I trust their track record," Bryant said
Friday, referring to Lakers owner Jerry Buss and general manager
Mitch Kupchak. "Whoever they bring in here, I'm going to be ready.
I'm just open to whoever they feel like is going to get the job
done.
"It is priority No. 1."
Bryant spoke after his exit interview with Kupchak and Frank
Hamblen, who served as interim coach after Rudy Tomjanovich
resigned suddenly Feb. 2, citing health concerns.
Tomjanovich stepped down barely halfway through his first season
after signing a five-year contract last summer. He succeeded Phil
Jackson, who coached the Lakers to four berths in the NBA Finals
and three championships in his five years on the job before leaving
last June.
Jackson's name was brought up when Tomjanovich resigned, with
the Lakers acknowledging at that time that he was a candidate for
the job at some point.
Kupchak repeated that Thursday, saying Jackson was at the top of
the Lakers' list of potential coaches.
When Jackson's name was mentioned in February, Bryant seemed
receptive, if not enthusiastic, about his possible return. Jackson
chronicled his differences with Bryant in a book released last
fall. Bryant said during the 2003-04 season that while he respected
Jackson as a coach, he didn't care for him as a person.
Kupchak said Thursday that Bryant wouldn't be consulted
concerning the new coach, and Bryant said he really didn't expect
to have an impact on who the Lakers hire.
"Everybody has an opinion," Bryant said. "If they ask me,
I'll give it to them."
With Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal gone, the Lakers became the
seventh team to reach the NBA Finals one year and miss the playoffs
the next, finishing this season with a 34-48 record. They missed
the playoffs for the first time in 11 years and just the second
time since 1976.
"The Lakers' organization is the basketball version of the
Yankees," Bryant said. "We're all extremely committed to working
extremely hard this summer."
Because of injuries, the Lakers' nucleus of Bryant, Lamar Odom
and Caron Butler played together in only 47 of the team's 82 games.
Bryant pointed to that as a key factor in the team's difficulties.
Hamblen said he expects Bryant, the NBA's second-leading scorer
with a 27.6-point average, to "come back with a vengeance" next
season.
"I'm hungry. I'm very hungry," Bryant said. "I have six
months now to train and really be ready. I'm going to be ready."
Hamblen said he believes the players learned they're going to
have to play better defense next season to be successful, and
believes Bryant will lead the way.
Bryant was named to the NBA's all-defensive team during each of
Jackson's five years as coach. The Lakers had many problems this
season, but defense was the most glaring. They allowed the
opposition to score 100 or more points in 49 of their 82 games and
ranked as one of the league's poorest defensive teams, giving up an
average of over 101 points per game.
Hamblen said as far as the coaching situation is concerned, he
doesn't know what lies ahead, saying it was up to the organization
and Jackson to make that determination.
"If Phil is coaching next year, it will be an honor to be on
his staff," Hamblen said. "In my mind, I think he'd be a terrific
fit here. I have been lobbying for him."
The Lakers lost a tiebreaker with Golden State on Friday,
meaning the Warriors will pick ninth and the Lakers 10th in the
draft on June 28 unless either beats the odds and picks first,
second or third -- an unlikely scenario.