Another Episode of ‘How the Lakers Turn’

Regarding Kobe Bryant, there is no way to reconcile the statement “I want to be a Laker for the rest of my life. That hasn’t changed,” with “I want to experience what it would be like to be courted as a free agent. I want to look at different options.”

Someone should remind Kobe that if you want to be faithful, you can’t be married and still hope to date.

Laker fans and Phil Jackson in particular have been patient. We all deserve to know where Kobe’s loyalty lies.

So to speak.

Alan Elliott

Los Angeles

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I never thought I would quote Kobe Bryant but he said it all when he said “I don’t care.”

Neither do I. I did care, but after all the drama, all the soap operas, all the overpaid babies’ complaints about this or that, who would care? What happened to basketball players playing basketball?

I yearn for the days of Magic Johnson and James Worthy. They are basketball players with class.

Steven Horowitz

Los Angeles

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The Lakers have become one big soap opera.

Will Kobe stay? Will Kobe leave? Does Kobe still love Shaq? Does Kobe like Phil?

Is Shaq faking his injuries? Does Shaq still love Phil? Does Shaq still like Kobe?

Will Phil stay? Are the Lakers sick and tired of Phil and his petty head games?

Will Malone and Payton get their rings, or will they both ride off into the sunset with their carpetbags and without a championship?

Stay tuned for this monotonous, mundane, boring and trite melodrama.

Charles Jones

Calabasas

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I would like to propose a new villain in this season’s ongoing Kobe drama: Bill Plaschke.

Keep out of it, Plaschke! Can’t you see you’re screwing this up? Your fact-less, obviously biased anti-Kobe views are only adding fuel to an already volatile situation.

Are you on Shaq’s payroll or something? Well, tell the Big Fatty that he has never won a ring without Kobe either.

Dick Smith

Los Angeles

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I just don’t see why Bill Plaschke is lecturing Kobe Bryant on what his personal and professional obligations are. He has made himself nothing but a mouthpiece for the Laker organization of late.

He wants Kobe to sacrifice his negotiating leverage in order for the Lakers to gain the maximum profit from his talent.

Bryant didn’t come into the NBA to serve as chattel for the Lakers, nor did the Lakers acquire him in a selfless act of charity. It’s a business, Bill. Just like the newspaper game.

How many papers have you worked for in your career? Where was your loyalty to those papers before coming to The Times?

B.J. Merholz

Los Angeles

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Dear Kobe,

Boy, do I want you to remain a Laker! And you say that you want to.

Of course, you also swore up and down publicly that you would never cheat on your wife.

We’ll now have to take you on your actions, not your words.

David Zemanek

El Cerrito