Kobe Update

The FanHouse is reporting the folowing:

Kobe just went off on the Lakers front office on both L.A. Radio stations within the last few hours. Topics that were of the fore-front...

• The Lakers told him they were going to build a contender around him when he re-signed, yet Phil Jackson revealed to Kobe today that the Lakers front office told him (after they fired him in '04) that they were going to build for the future (with a 5-6 year plan). Kobe says he only re-signed because he was assured they would be trying to build for now and not the future.
• The Lakers staff keeps throwing him under the bus for the Shaq deal. Kobe stated that Lakers owner Jerry Buss told him in February of 2004 that they were trading Shaq no matter what because they didn't want to pay his salary. Basically, in the middle of the '04 season, Buss had already decided to trade Shaq. In today's L.A. Times, Mark Heisler quoted a Laker insider as saying that Kobe is the reason Shaq is not playing for the Lakers anymore. Kobe is furious about this, saying he thinks the Lakers have been content with him taking the bullet for the Shaq fiasco for years and that he's not going to sit back without speaking up about the issue anymore.
• They traded his best friend Caron Butler for Kwame Brown. Kobe stated that he and Butler were working out together that entire summer in anticipation of playing together during the next season.
• Kobe says he has every unhappy player in the NBA calling him asking him to see if the front office can do something to get them in Los Angeles, yet the Lakers front office always gives him an excuse as to why they don't want to bring any of those players in. He specifically spoke of Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer, and Ron Artest and said that every time he's brought a deal to the Lakers he's been shot down. Kobe said that Boozer BADLY wanted to play with him here in L.A. when the Jazz were going to sell him for $.15 on the dollar, but the Lakers told Kobe they didn't think he could guard the four spot.
• He doesn't want to be traded, but wants to know the real deal...Are they building to win now or trying to build for the future (as the Andrew Bynum pick would indicate)?

...So, how is this going to end?? Let's get something straight, Kobe isn't going anywhere. He's the best player in the NBA as well as the most marketable player in the NBA. Granted, I don't think he has chosen the most opportune time (I would have liked to have seen him wait until after the playoffs had ended...I know, I know -- the Spurs won the championship when the Mavs were ousted, but you know I what I mean) to openly dissect the Lakers front office...but, if what he is saying is true, then he certainly deserves some answers (behind closed doors) AND changes. Rumors out of L.A. indicate that owner/drunk Jerry Buss is trying to cut costs so that he can hand off the team to his family in good financial standing when he passes. Wake the hell up, Jerry!! If you continue to lie to your lone superstar, the team is going to be in financial hell. If Kobe actually does demand a trade, your franchise is doomed. Kobe is the SOLE reason why people show up at the Staples Center, night-in and night-out.

Danny Ainge...get on the phone and offer the city of Boston to Jerry Buss ASAP! I'm talking Jefferson, Pierce, Theo's contract, and 1st round picks for the next decade. Sh*t, who am I kidding?? That's still not even close to enough to land the modern day MJ. At least I can dream tonight...