Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is arrogant and he has no problems admitting that. He is tough on his teammates and has spoken about his leadership style being uncomfortable, but ultimately leading to great results as his five championships are evidence of.
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Earlier this season, Bryant was the subject of a scathing article that implied the Lakers would be unable to bring in big-name players as none of them wanted to play with Kobe. In an interview with Chuck Klosterman for GQ Magazine, Bryant admitted that his nature on the court probably does turn some people away:
Does my nature make me less enjoyable to play with? Of course,” he says. “Of course it does. Is it possible that some top players in the league are intimidated by that? Yes. But do I want to play with those players? Does the Laker organization want those specific players? No.”
Bryant would add that a player carrying the Lakers has to be cut from a certain cloth that he and other greats are all a part of:
Magic. Jordan. Bird. We all would have been phenomenal teammates. This organization wants players who will carry this franchise to another five or six championships. The player who does that has to be cut from the same cloth. And if they’re not cut from that cloth, they don’t belong here.”
The Lakers organization would surely agree with Bryant and President Jeanie Buss has made it very apparent what the Lakers think of players who would be scared to play with Kobe.
Bryant’s attitude has caused issues in the past with teammates and coaches and he is always looking to get the most out of teammates. That can rub some people the wrong way, but it can also lead to great success which is all Kobe cares about.
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