After leading the Lakers to a Game 3 victory on Friday night at Staples Center, Kobe Bryant seemed giddier than usual in the post-game press conferences. After interrupting teammate Pau Gasol’s presser, Bryant had a few choice words for the media members.
There’s no question that Bryant has been one of the most heavily scrutinized players in league history. Fair or unfair, Bryant has always had plenty of people question his decisions on the court. But Bryant isn’t too concerned with what people have to say about him.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Bryant made that very clear on Friday.
“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports late Friday. “If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, ‘Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.’ Well, [expletive] you.”
Oh, Kobe. One thing that’s quite enjoyable about watching him get older is his increasing distrust of the media, and how candid he is with them, even when it’s expressing his displeasure with them.
There will be those, like Wojnarowski, that will argue that Bryant certainly does care about what’s said about him, even if he’ll never admit it. I think to a certain extent that’s certainly true. In nearly every interview Bryant does he says things that are hard to believe. But that’s just who he is, and we’ve all learned to accept that.
Bryant will have another chance to prove some people wrong tonight, as his Lakers will look to tie up the series with the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center.