In the 23 years when I traveled with Laker teams I can count on one hand the times we writers socialized with the players.
I flew on the team’s charter plane, but it was understood there were strict guidelines when the players would be available for interviews. And I didn’t violate that trust.
I don’t travel anymore but I understand the restrictions are even greater now. There’s more media and more need for media control.
I recall that once Coach Pat Riley and the four traveling writers (LA Times, Orange County Register, LA Daily News and me) were going out to dinner in San Antonio.
We walked the short distance from the hotel to the restaurant on The Riverwalk and were then told there would be a one-hour wait.
Riley asked us to stay there while he left to take care of something. He returned 10 minutes later with Magic Johnson. Upon seeing the star Laker player the mater dei magically found a table for six.
I bring this up because something happened recently that reminded me of those days.
Kobe Bryant invited a sportswriter to dinner.
My friend Peter Vecsey, the nationally prominent basketball writer of the New York Post, was in town for a week to write columns on the Lakers and Clippers.
When he approached Bryant at practice he was surprised by Kobe’s reaction.
According to Vecsey, Bryant asked “do you want to go to dinner?”
Vecsey has written several columns about the discussion that took place while they dined..
He writes that Bryant told him his trade demands a few years ago were motivated by how disappointed he was by the Lakers’ lack of action in improving the roster.
After he forced the issue the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol. But now they’ve sent away Lamar Odom, they’re off to a terrible start and they’re beginning a difficult stretch of travel.
At the same time the Clippers have become sensational. Their dunk-filled rout of first place Oklahoma City Monday night made them the darlings of Staples Center.
As the Clippers rise and the Lakers fall I’m afraid Bryant is approaching the boiling point again.
The Lakers are far down in the race for playoff position. Worse for them, the Clippers rank much higher.
I wonder how long Bryant will put up with the current situation. I wonder how long he’ll put up with new coach Mike Brown’s long practices and frequent lineup changes.
Bryant can demand a trade again. He can threaten to retire after the season if he’s not traded. Or, in the least likely scenario, if he absolutely doesn’t want to come back, the Lakers could use their amnesty clause on him.
This is almost unthinkable but within the rules. They could declare him their amnesty player, meaning they’d have to pay his huge salary but it wouldn’t count against their salary cap. Then he could sign with another team.
In Bryant’s case that would give the Lakers $30 million within the cap to sign another elite player.
Laker insiders I know are wondering why the Lakers didn’t amnesty Luke Walton this season. They would have gained $5 million to use for another player. Walton remains on the roster now but rarely plays.
One possibility is the Lakers are keeping their options open. They can only use the amnesty once a year.
I repeat that it’s a drastic step for Bryant to even be included in an amnesty discussion. But we don’t know how Kobe will react if the Lakers keep slipping.
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