Kobe Bryant on Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni, Obama’s game
Kobe Bryant joined the show to talk about the state of the Lakers, his health, Phil Jacskon and more. Here are some of his takes:
— Dan asked Bryant if Mike D’Antoni deserves another year in L.A.: “I don’t know. It’s been tough on him. He’s been dealing with so many injuries. I don’t know if he’s gotten a fair shake.”
— Dan asked if the Lakers were a top-four seed in the playoffs, could he suit up? “Yeah, probably,” Bryant said. “When I was injured, I finished out the game. If this was a playoff situation, I’d play through it.”
— Kobe on Phil Jackson taking a front-office job with the Knicks: “I wasn’t surprised by it. I knew that was going to happen. He and I had breakfast together [a week and half ago]. … There’s only but so much meditation a person can do all day.”
Bryant said the Lakers did not jump in at the last second to pursue Jackson before he went to New York.
— Dan asked if the Lakers were a top four seed, could he play right now. ” Yeah, probably,” Bryant said. “When I was injured, I finished out the game. If this was a playoff situation, I’d play through it. I’d have to deal with it in the offseason.
— Kobe on what he’ll be like when he returns: “I personally think you’re going to see the Kobe you’re used to seeing. … I’ve never had a year with this much time off to recover and rest and get stronger.”
— Kobe on Carmelo Anthony: “He’s won a championship at Syracuse. He has that championship DNA in him.”
— Kobe is helping promote Healthcare.gov and discussed President Obama’s game. Dan asked if Obama could make the Lakers right now. “He could actually,” Bryant said. “I’m not dissing our current roster. It’s a sign of respect for the President.”
Dan asked which NBA players Obama compares to. Kobe had two interesting choices: “I don’t know if he does the leg kick, but he would be the left-handed version of (former Nugget and Bullet) Michael Adams. And I’d probably say Nate Archibald.”