“He was very, very respectful. I told him when I walked in that I was going to try to talk him out of it. And he said, ‘I’ll listen carefully.’ And he did. He listened very carefully for 30, 45 minutes. I tried to explain to him how much the city of Los Angeles loved him, and that to leave 10 million sweethearts for unknown territory might not be the right thing to do. But when I was finished, he said he basically felt the same way. And I said, ‘OK. With that, I will proceed to see what’s available.’ “

And proceed he did. Unfortunately for Kobe, the Lakers got offered a crap platter, and Jerry couldn’t pull the trigger.

“You have to get comparable value when you make a trade. It’s very hard to trade somebody like him because people who have enough material to make it worthwhile are usually contenders and they don’t want to make the trade.

What was offered was not ever under consideration. And I told Kobe that. I told him I would try my best to accommodate his wishes, but that I could not afford to let him go unless we got comparable talent, if there is such a thing. . . . I even told him occasionally what I was offered and I said, ‘You have to know that this is not in favor of the Lakers. This would just be terrible to do.’ And he said, ‘I understand.’ “

So there it is. Kobe’s as good as gone and he knows it. That’s why we haven’t heard a peep from him, he’s getting his way. The only problem is finding a team that has enough disposable parts to trade for Kobe and still field a championship caliber squad. I would hate to see the Bulls gut their team to bring in Kobe Bryant.

All Kobe, All The Time
Buss: Bryant isn’t untouchable. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times
Kobe Bryant Leaving Los Angeles?
Kobe Speaks, Lays Groundwork For L.A. Exodus
Kobe Bryant, Funcrusher

Tags: Jerry Buss Trading Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Trade Demands