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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v LAKERS

May 29, 2008

Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Five

Q. From your perspective, can you talk about how Pau recovered so well against Duncan and how he is able to adapt so well?
KOBE BRYANT: He is an intelligent basketball player. He learns -- learns quickly. If he gets the wrong angle on one particular play, he can recover back and the next time do a much better job.

Q. Phil said before the game he showed you a movie about closing the deal. Do you sense that you and your teammates lived up to that, felt that in the fourth quarter, closing the deal?
KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, no, we definitely did. I think we've learned from the other series and how to close teams. You have to be patient. Once we got the game back under control, we just had to be methodical and try to turn up our intensity and energy and try to close the game.
But, yeah, we got the message.

Q. This is another great come-back for the team. Talk to us about the intensity, the drive you guys have shown throughout this playoff run?
KOBE BRYANT: We showed a lot of character. This is the second time we have been down 17, 20 points to San Antonio. I think it shows the maturity for a young team to be patient and to not think that the game is over or to try to get it all back in one play.
We just stuck to it and got the game back.

Q. You have not been in the finals for a number of years. That's always been your goal. We knew that last year after the season when you were talking about the desire to be in the finals. Now that you're there, what does it mean to you? Talk about the accomplishment of the team making it to the finals.
KOBE BRYANT: I think it is a tremendous accomplishment. I think the West is extremely tough. You know, for us to not have as much experience as some of the other teams in the West, still be able to get through the West, I think shows a lot of maturity, a lot of understanding.
We're all extremely excited and proud about it. Now it is time to go on and see if we can't finish it off.

Q. Four years ago you had two leaders on the team, yourself and Shaq. This time pretty much you are the clear leader of this team. Can you talk about on your own, being the sole leader this time, being able to help this team make it to the finals?
KOBE BRYANT: I honestly don't believe in sole leadership. There is always others. Derek shares in that responsibility. Lamar shares in that responsibility to his degree and Pau does as well. We all share in this. It is not me at the forefront. That's just not how we roll.

Q. How do you feel about the growth of the team, especially when at the beginning of the season there was so much turmoil around it?
KOBE BRYANT: Feels great. I think started for us in training camp when there was a lot of talk swirling around. We were always together, eating together, you know, on the bus, joking around together. We built that unity from the first day and we carried that on throughout the season.

Q. What can you tell a guy like Andrew Bynum who was such an important part of the team for the first part of the season and who hasn't been able to be with you on the court in the latter part of the season, what can you tell him so he feels part of this accomplishment as well?
KOBE BRYANT: What I tell him is he has to get healthy. I think it's -- I imagine it is very difficult for him. But then a big smile comes across my face and I tell him "imagine what it is going to be like when you are back in the lineup." Defensively we are going to be really tough.

Q. I know that's not the trophy you guys want ultimately, but what did it mean to have Jerry West there giving you the Western trophy there?
KOBE BRYANT: From my own selfish reasons it felt great. He brought me here. He is the one responsible for bringing me into the league. He is my mentor. He has always been my mentor, and will always be my mentor. It was just extremely special to sit there, to stand there next to him and give him a big old hug.
I remember like it was yesterday. I was 17 in his Lexus riding around, scared to talk because I'm sitting next to "Mr. Clutch." It is pretty awesome.

Q. Did you know he would be here?
KOBE BRYANT: I had no idea. I had no idea until we were getting ready to do the National Anthem and he got my attention and said "kick their ass." (Smiling.) Then I knew.

Q. You knew how tough this might have been if this one gets away from you guys and you end up having to go back to San Antonio. That fourth quarter you really took over. Was there just that kind of feeling like you got to end this now? What was your push then?
KOBE BRYANT: Not really. I don't think anybody was really terrified to go back to San Antonio. I think we just -- we just wanted to win the game. We just approach each game like it is our last and play with a sense urgency and we want to win it.
I don't think anybody in that locker room felt nervous or anything like that if we would have lost the game.

Q. How much harder physically, mentally is it to do what you did, especially the last few games without many trips to the foul line, having to do it all with buckets?
KOBE BRYANT: I knew I wouldn't get to the free-throw line as much because historically when I play the Spurs I don't shoot that many free throws. They do a good job of not fouling or putting bodies on me where the refs can see and make calls.
What I tried to do this series is improve my efficiency scoring the ball, because I believe their formula is don't put me at the free throw, make me take low-percentage shots. I try to combat that by increasing my scoring efficiency and being effective. I was pretty successful doing that.

Q. What was the tenor in the lock remember room after the game? Was it excitement, was it we have one more step to go?
KOBE BRYANT: It was both. We are a bunch of kids (smiling) so we enjoyed it. We enjoyed it. We laughed, joked around, clowned around with each other, made fun of Sasha for shooting the last 3. We just do what we do.
At the same time, we know we have a long road ahead. We'll take care but this is no different than the way we've always been.
We are kind of a goofy bunch.

Q. I'm wondering, did you ever talk to Jerry about his performance in the clutch, ask him questions about that? And then what did you take from that and how have you developed your approach to playing in those pressure situations?
KOBE BRYANT: He said something to me that was really interesting. He said when the game is on the line, he feels like the shots are actually easier to make. It was just interesting to hear him say that and try to understand how he views those clutch situations and how I can learn from that and try to be that way.

Q. Is that the way it is for you?
KOBE BRYANT: Yep.

Q. I'm sure there will be a big celebration tonight. This is something we are going to remember for a long time. It is time to move on. Tomorrow you might have a rival. What is the aspect that you think you will have to improve the most against the Eastern Conference Finals' rival you will have?
KOBE BRYANT: You know, this is the Lakers. They're used to winning Western Conference champs. You know, I don't think we will go out on the street or see a riot or anything like that. People will be celebrating and be happy about it.
But we play for one thing and one thing only, and that's championships. This is a big, big stuff for us. We're all very excited. We are all very proud of what we've accomplished. Now the real season starts.

Q. Can you talk about how unbelievable this past 12 months have been. Almost a year ago to the day you're conflicted, didn't know if you wanted to be here. And now you are in the Western Conference Finals. Can you talk about the emotions you have had to go through the past 12 months to almost being traded, then also getting Bynum going, Gasol a trade, how has this year been for you? Can you just talk about what the job Mitch has done.
KOBE BRYANT: I think it would have been a much harder summer if we weren't playing with the USA team. I think that helped me take my mind off a lot of things and focus on the game.
Once training camp came around, all I thought was about was basketball. It was right back to business and doing what I do. Once the season started, I didn't think about a trade or anything like that. I just buckled down into what I needed to do to get this team to play our best basketball. That's what we did.
Mitch has done a terrific job. He has made some key trades, obviously the Pau one which -- when I talk to other people around the league and I say it was a great trade, they look at me and laugh and they don't want to call it a trade. They want to call it -- I don't know what the hell -- a donation or something like that. But whatever the case, he just did a fantastic job with that and Trevor as well and drafted well. He's done a great job.

End of FastScripts

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