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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERSJune 12, 2010Kobe BryantBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day Q. First, how do you feel? The other day Phil said maybe you looked a little tired, someone thought maybe your knee was hurting. How do you feel? KOBE BRYANT: Well rested. Q. And it seems there's also questions the Celtics are stopping you. Do you feel like some of these Kobe doubters that are out there at the end of the regular season are starting to show up again? And are you looking forward for a chance to quiet them again? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, that's what they do. They show up, disappear, show up, disappear. That's part of it. Q. Phil said since Game 2 Boston has been doing something a little different against you in the fourth quarter and he said he thinks he needs to get you more space there. Is there something going on in the fourth quarter that's different from the rest of the game, the way they're playing you? KOBE BRYANT: Well, I mean, they don't want me to beat them, so they put three guys there. Nothing we haven't seen before, it's just when you win those games, like Game 3, nobody talks about that because we take advantage of it. And if you lose the game, everybody talks about that. It's part of the process. Q. Are you happy the way you've played to this point in the series, you personally? KOBE BRYANT: I'm miserable (smiling). Q. Anything you want to do better that you haven't been doing? KOBE BRYANT: Not be miserable. Q. When you say you're miserable, we don't know whether to take you seriously -- I'm not taking you seriously, but I know how you are about winning so maybe there's a chance you are miserable that it's 2 to 2. How much of that is complete sarcasm? Is there any ounce of truth that this series has not gone exactly the way you would like for it to go? KOBE BRYANT: I'm fine (smiling). Q. In you don't beat the Boston Celtics, can you go down as the best Laker ever? KOBE BRYANT: No. Q. Is it important to you to go down as the best Laker ever? KOBE BRYANT: No. Q. Do you think you are? KOBE BRYANT: No. Q. Who is? KOBE BRYANT: In my opinion it's Jerry West because in terms of everything that he's done, as a player and then as a general manager. He's responsible for managing here, he's responsible for Shaq, he's responsible for myself. He put the whole picture together and everything that he's done, to me he's the greatest. Q. Magic doesn't get the edge because he did beat the Celtics and Jerry West didn't? KOBE BRYANT: What is everybody's fascination with the Celtics in terms of going down in history as -- it's a little weird to me. I think Jerry's body of work and the championships that he's been responsible for, just my opinion -- you can have your own opinion, it doesn't really matter to me. In my opinion I think Jerry West is. Q. Phil has talked about Josh Powell and the fact that despite the long stretches where he won't play, he's a guy that keeps his focus and is ready. If Andrew -- something happens first, second, third quarter, how confident are you that he'll be ready for the moment? KOBE BRYANT: I'm very confident. He continues to work, continues to play. He's been that way all year. Last year when we had Andrew go down and Lamar went down, he stepped in and played big for us in stretches of games. He'll be ready to go. He's worked hard all year. So I'm sure if his number is called, he'll be ready to work. Q. As you play in more Finals year after year, are they as fun as the year before? Is it harder, just everything, physical, all this, everything, because you've played in so many of these? Does it get harder? Is this as fun as it was a year ago, two years ago, five years ago, six years ago? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, they're always fun. The challenge of them is what makes it fun. It's the match-ups from game to game. You win one game, lose the next game. Those kind of series are always fun to be a part of because The Finals is and should be the ultimate test. Q. Your father used to be involved in the Olimpiano team. They're going to play the first game of the Finals tomorrow. I wonder if there's any message you can relay to them. KOBE BRYANT: I'm worried about my own Finals. Good luck. Q. Did you pay much attention the last couple days the way they won that game, the emotional tenor of it, and the fact that for the last two days, ESPN and everything, a lot of celebration? Do you let that drive you? Is that on your radar at all? KOBE BRYANT: I haven't seen any of it, to be honest with you. I haven't seen any of it. I've just been thinking about the next game, what we need to do and the adjustments we need to make. You know, fans and -- I think for them, the interest of the series for us as players is just important thinking about the next one from a basketball perspective, how we're going to play. Q. How do you want to set the pace for this coming game? What's your strategy? What would you like to do? KOBE BRYANT: Just got to come out and execute. We have a good game plan. The Celtics make you adapt every game because they're so good. We have a game plan, ready to go for the next one and be ready. Q. Given that you have been dealing with various injuries throughout the rest of the season, is it kind of a given now you're going to have to take the summer off or are you still thinking you might play beyond The Finals this year? KOBE BRYANT: I don't know. I've got to take care of my body, so whatever shakes out of that shakes out of that. But if you're referring to USA Basketball I haven't been in contact with any of these guys. I haven't spoken to Mr. Colangelo since early in the season. I talked to Coach K briefly. He's just wishing me well. But we didn't get into anything about the summer. Q. Do you have any idea what your timetable is when you'll make that kind of decision? KOBE BRYANT: I don't know. It'll involve them, that's for sure. Outside of that, I don't know. The Lakers obviously, it goes without saying. End of FastScripts |
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