Barely a game into Kobe Bryant's return, Mike D'Antoni and the Black Mamba are already at odds.
The Los Angeles Lakers went 10-9 in a loaded Western Conference without their star shooting guard, remaining within postseason striking distance. Asked about his team's success without him, Bryant downplayed the significance of Los Angeles' record.
"It's not like we were gangbusters before," he said, according to ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin.
Ouch. Who poured hot gravy down the Mamba's warm-ups?
ESPN projected the Lakers to finish 10 games under .500 this season, a forecast Bryant himself took exception to. How is he devaluing a winning record achieved without him?
Naturally, D'Antoni disagreed.
"I have to disagree with that," Magic Mike explained, via McMenamin. "We were 6-2 in the last eight [games before Bryant's return] and I thought we played extremely well, winning three [in a row] on the road. ... So, that's not quite right. I'm really proud of what the guys did."
As he should be.
Bryant is likely proud as well. Again, how could he not be? ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Dan Favale
Mike D’Antoni Objects to Kobe Bryant’s Lukewarm Assessment of Lakers’ 10-9 Start
December 10th, 2013 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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