Jeanie Buss loudly defends Kobe Bryant, Lakers

The Lakers, and mores specifically Kobe Bryant, have come under scrutiny recently after a controversial piece from ESPN blamed the superstar guard for the Lakers shortcomings in recent seasons.

In an interview with ESPN’s First Take, owner Jeanie Buss vehemently defended the superstar, her message loud and clear.

“Any free agent that would be afraid to play with Kobe Bryant is probably a loser, and I’m glad they wouldn’t come to the team.”

The article questioned Bryant’s ego, stating that is has gotten in the way of the Lakers luring in other big name free agents in the last handful of summers. While there had been little official comments to the story, it was certainly an attack on Bryant, who is nearing the end of his career.

Any free agent that would be afraid to play with Kobe Bryant is probably a loser, and I’m glad they wouldn’t come to the team.

Citing multiple sources within the organization for the story, it sounded like the Lakers had varying ideas on Bryant’s role within the team. Buss, however, was quite adamant on the Lakers stance:

“I read the story. I don’t agree with any of it. If there is somebody that’s on our payroll who is saying things like that, I’ll soon get to the bottom of it, and they won’t be working for us anymore….I have no doubt that Kobe will make people regret ever saying that.”

“I don’t like reading that kind of stuff, I don’t like hearing about it. Lakers fan know what Kobe is about and they quickly defended him, as did many other people.”

One of the specific cases of the Lakers missing out on a free agent occurred this summer, when they hosted Carmelo Anthony during his free agency. Buss stated she thought the Lakers made “a good case” for why he should join Bryant in LA…

But he’s from New York, he sees a mission. I understand why he chose to stay with New York. I don’t think any of that has to do with Kobe Bryant.

Whether or not you agree with the original article or the Buss’ comments today, one must commend the Buss for standing up and publicly defending their players. This speaks volumes about the Lakers organization and their stance in defending players.

Do you agree with Buss? Is Bryant the problem? Let us know down below!