Incident With Miller Has Left Bryant Boxed Into a Corner

If only Friday’s night ugliness was about just one punch.

If only the ramifications lasted just the length of the suspension.

It only this entire matter would go away in two games, allowing the Lakers to return to the business of lacing their spikes and sprinting after Sacramento.

But it won’t.

Because what happened Friday night is not about Kobe Bryant’s fist, but his head.

He has changed.

A sweet kid has grown into a sassy young adult. The smooth guy has become a tough guy. Over his designer silk game, he has draped a crusty leather jacket.

Wonder Boy has sometimes become Wonder-What-On -Earth-Is-He-Thinking Boy.

After naming Bryant one of their three leaders this season, the Lakers have benefited from many nights of Captain Courageous.

But sometimes, they have been stuck with Cap’n Crunch.

Friday night was one of those times.

Confirming that the change in Bryant has not been all good.

Shaquille O’Neal may have worn Bryant’s jersey during introductions before Sunday’s 95-79 win over Houston.

And Derek Fisher may have earlier said, rather incredulously, that Bryant’s running punch of Indiana’s Reggie Miller on Friday was a matter of self-defense.

But here’s guessing Laker bosses know better.

For them to stay hot enough to win their third consecutive championship, Bryant must chill.

No more post-game punches to shut somebody up. Especially after your team has already done that on the court.

“I think in respect to the team, I think it was a selfish thing to do,” Coach Phil Jackson said Sunday, publicly scolding Bryant with words sharper than any jab.

No more punches of teammates on busses over ... money? Remember, Friday’s incident came only eight days after Bryant punched Samaki Walker on a bus in Cleveland.

“What happened Friday, coming on the heels of the incident with a teammate, makes you wonder what’s on Kobe’s mind,” Rick Fox said.

No more collecting seven technical fouls in two months, Bryant’s haul at the beginning of this season.

“He’s been very edgy all year,” Fox said.

The Lakers wanted Bryant to become more of an emotional leader. But they never bargained for this.

“This is what we were asking for ... and now that we get it, we’re concerned?” asked Fox with a laugh.

Well, um, yes.

By Sunday night, Bryant had not explained Friday’s actions, avoiding the media in tough situations as he has done several times this year.

Miller, however, issued a statement that included this cryptic line.

“Kobe has other issues he has to deal with. They had nothing to do with me or the basketball game played Friday evening.”

That could be simply more trash talk.

Or maybe Miller, for all his blather, has also noticed a change.

We’re not going to play pop psychologist here. Bryant will eventually speak for himself.

But he already spoke to the team about Friday’s incident.

“He said he didn’t condone what he did, but he also said, ‘I had to stand up for myself, stand up for my teammates,’” recalled Fox.

Not exactly words endorsed by Jackson.

“I don’t think he was apologetic,” Jackson said. “He said, ‘I did what I had to do.’”

But did he?

Did slugging Miller do anything for him or the team?

“I think you let your play do your talking for you,” Jackson said. “We won the game. Enough said.”

And about this so-called, strangely elusive “respect?” The word which some Lakers have used in this case, and as an excuse for every sort of on-court tussle in a season increasingly marred by them?

“You don’t get respect, you earn it,” Jackson said.

Jackson was asked whether he understood why Bryant attacked Miller.

“No,” Jackson said.

Jackson was asked whether the team was satisfied with Bryant’s explanation.

“I wouldn’t say everybody’s happy that he’s missing the games,” Jackson said. “No one’s all right with that.”

While it was written here that O’Neal’s sucker swing at Brad Miller in January was equally unjustified, the Lakers are looking at this different.

They saw O’Neal in the context of, it was the first and probably last serious incident of his career.

They look at Bryant in the context of, what’s next?

“He’s definitely trying to set a tone about what he’s all about,” said Fox. “He sees himself as the best in the league, and in his mind, that carries a lot of weight, draws out a lot of challenges.”

The biggest one apparently being, self control.

When the Lakers play host to the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday in a possible NBA finals preview, their best finals-type player will not be there.

Kobe Bryant, stopped cold by Reggie Miller.

Changes, indeed.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com.