Don't get it twisted. Believe what you want about Kobe's infamous "Parking Lot Video" from 2007 but Kobe never really wanted Andrew Bynum traded.
Well, he didn't exactly want Bynum traded.
Go back and watch the video again. It's still easy to find. Go ahead. Watch it. Listen to what Kobe says.
Does Kobe say "Ship his ass out!?" Of course he does. But pay attention to the context in which he says it. Listen to what Kobe says immediately after. He says "We're talking about Jason Kidd."
The Orange County dorks who recorded the video (and unsuccessfully tried to sell it) ask Kobe about why the Lakers didn't get Jason Kidd. It is only when they mention that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was reluctant to part with the then-19-year-old Bynum for Kidd is when Kobe is perceived to have thrown Bynum under the bus.
It's not that Kobe didn't think that Bynum had the potential to be a great player one day. It's that Kobe didn't want to wait for that day to come. He wanted to win immediately.
Don't forget the video was taken in May—when Bryant was usually too busy practicing for an upcoming playoff game and didn't have the time ...
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Article written by Andrew Ungvari
Andrew Bynum: As Important To the Lakers Now As He Is in the Future
November 18th, 2009 by Andrew Ungvari Leave a reply »
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