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Kobe Bryant's remarks show a lack of loyalty

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant makes a good point in his on-again, off-again demand to get traded out of Los Angeles. He figures he has just a few years of his prime playing time left, and he doesn't want to waste them on a team that doesn't seem to care about him or about winning championships.

Kobe Bryant further claims that the Los Angeles Lakers front office lied to him when he re-signed with the team, saying it would pursue top basketball talent right away. So far, the team has shown little sense of urgency about surrounding Kobe Bryant with a credible cast - much to the dismay of its fans as well as its star.

Even so, Kobe Bryant's spoiled-brat performance isn't winning him any popularity points. And his contention on ESPN radio last week that "there's no other alternative" to a trade suggested both a lack of imagination and a lack of loyalty to the city that has loved him.

Kobe Bryant may work for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it's the people of L.A. who have paid his salary, attended his games and worn his jersey all these years. Kobe Bryant would do well to remember that L.A. communities supported him not only through three championships but even stood with him through a sordid rape investigation.

It must be tough for Kobe Bryant to suffer the team's mediocrity ever since former teammate Shaquille O'Neal left for Miami after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to three championships. But surely the $88.6 million left in Kobe Bryant's $136 million, seven-year contract ought to help him get over the pain.

And while Kobe Bryant might not like what the Los Angeles Lakers are doing management-wise, he is, after all, still under contract. He is paid fabulously well to play with whomever Los Angeles Lakers brass puts on the floor - and not to pout.

Kobe Bryant is possibly the best player of the day and one of the greatest ever. He is a key part of the history and tradition of the Los Angeles Lakers and the city. It would be a shame to see him go.

This is a pivotal time for the Los Angeles Lakers and for Kobe Bryant, and cooler heads must prevail. The team's management ought to pay heed to Kobe Bryant's legitimate concerns, and Kobe Bryant ought to remember his commitment to his team and his city. That coach Phil Jackson has apparently talked the superstar into sticking it out with the team is a hopeful sign.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant ought to be able to come together and return honor and glory to the team - and to the city of Los Angeles.

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