Kobe Bryant explains why he's still patient despite Lakers' failures

The losses have been piling up for the Los Angeles Lakers this year, but superstar guard Kobe Bryant's loyalty to the franchise has not wavered. Addressing speculation that he might be growing impatient in L.A. amid a struggling season, the future Hall of Famer denied the claims and reiterated his commitment to the franchise Tuesday night.

"The idea of me having no patience is misunderstood," Bryant told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. "I don't have patience when we're not putting the work in, if I see that we're not doing our job as professionals. If that's happening, I'll let my team know about it. But this is not that kind of group. We work. These guys want to get better every day. They're there early working, they're there late working."

Even after the latest win against Detroit, the Lakers sit at 5-13, tied for the second worst record in the Western Conference. Bryant has been a revelation this season at 36 years old, averaging a league-leading 25.8 points per game, but that hasn't translated to victories under first-year coach Byron Scott.

Many around the league suspected the notoriously competitive Bryant would lash out at the constant losing, particularly after ESPN published a story claiming he was "destroying the franchise from within." Instead, Bryant has focused his game and being a veteran leader. Wojnarowski's report paints a much different image than the one published by Henry Abbott nearly three months ago.


http://www.sbnation.com/2014/12/3/7327493/kobe-bryant-lakers-patience-comments-report-2014