As last season came to an end, the backlash from fans and media alike against Mike D’Antoni was at a fever pitch. Very few wanted the coach to stick around. Eventually D’Antoni would resign as Lakers head coach, opening the door for the team to hire Byron Scott this off-season.
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Kobe Bryant hadn’t spoken too much about D’Antoni since his firing, but in talking with ESPN LA 710 during media day, did acknowledge that he and D’Antoni saw certain things differently via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
Kobe: "DAntoni and I didn't have the same philosophy on winning. For me, it's winning and no inbtwn…it's championship or a waste of time"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) September 29, 2014
This mindset that Kobe has is one that is not always shared by others, but it has always been that way for Kobe, and the Lakers in general. The Lakers have always been a franchise that expects to contend for a championship and that won’t change anytime soon.
Bryant has adopted that notion during his time with the Lakers, and it is something that he and new head coach Byron Scott expect to bring back to this new collection of young talent who may not understand quite what it means to be a Laker.
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Scott has said that step one will be returning the Lakers to that mindset, and Kobe appears to be on the same page as his coach. D’Antoni didn’t quite understand that notion, which shows exactly why he never quite seemed to fit in with the Lakers.
How Does Kobe Bryant See The Conversation Going Between Him And Byron Scott Regarding Managing Minutes?
