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American Morning

Off Court Controversy Overshadows Lakers' Season

Aired May 18, 2001 - 10:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, I'll take the hand off here. Yes, NBA news from the west. The L.A. Lakers are heading to San Antonio for Saturday's game one of the conference finals. It's been a roller coaster season for the defending champions, fueled by much off court controversy like the public laundering of the fact that Kobe Bryant doesn't want to play Scottie Pippen to Shaquille O'Neal's Michael Jordan.

Our Tom Rinaldi sat down with the Lakers' young gun, talked about that, and more. Here is some of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RINALDI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kobe, you guys are where everybody thought you'd be at the start of the season. But is this how you thought you'd get here?

KOBE BRYANT, LAKERS GUARD: No. I think that, you know, the waters were a little bit rockier than earlier anticipated. You know, but it did nothing but build us, you know, give us a lot of composure and I think that it gave us a lot of mental strength to be able to go to where we are and still be in this position at the end of the season.

RINALDI: Looking over the season, it seems easy to forget because you've been around for a long time already. You're only 22.

BRYANT: Yeah.

RINALDI: How much did you age this season?

BRYANT: Well, I have aged a lot. I think, you know, outside of the things that have gone on in the spotlight, you know, with this team, I have been through so much off the court and, you know, it was a tough year for me personally but I've matured so much as an individual.

RINALDI: Your teammates have seemed to go out of their way to really praise you, almost as if you're a different person since returning from the injuries.

BRYANT: Yeah.

RINALDI: Do you see that? BRYANT: Yes, I do see it, and I think the reason for that is, I told them what my thought process was and that's just to make everybody better. And I think I've improved in that category. You know, certain parts was more difficult than others. But I think I've improved them to the point to where it's benefiting this ball club.

RINALDI: Did you address the team? Did you do it one-on-one? How did you go about it?

BRYANT: Oh, I addressed the whole team. I addressed the whole team and I told them that's where my focus has been and that's where my focus is going to be and I'm going to improve with it and so, you know, just come on for the ride.

RINALDI: When did you decide to do that, and was that a tough decision for you?

BRYANT: It wasn't a tough decision. I mean I have been wanting to do that. It's just that I have gotten better and I think that I have gotten, my trust in my teammates have grown a lot more.

RINALDI: Why?

BRYANT: Well, you know, because they've been making the big shots.

RINALDI: Most people, Kobe, since they were a child, it matters to them to be liked. Does it matter to you to be liked?

BRYANT: No, not at all. Not at all.

RINALDI: Why not?

BRYANT: Well, it just doesn't. You know, I'm going to be who I am and, you know, if you like it, great. If you don't, so be it. But in this profession all I ask is that you respect what I do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWMAN: Now, our Tom and Kobe discussed several more issues during their sit-down chat. You can catch it in its entirety tomorrow on "PAGE ONE," the program. And it's on at 12:30 P.M. Eastern on CNN. I'll give you one tiny quick little tidbit and that's Tom asked him about Shaq and the fact that the Spurs series has be referred to as Shaq's series. So Kobe's response to that. Is that a tease for you?

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