Bryant: ‘I’d much rather come (to Seattle) in the postseason than Oklahoma’
Kobe Bryant took a shot at Oklahoma City on Sunday. Sort of.
At Richard Sherman’s charity softball game in Seattle, Bryant said it was his first time back to the city since the departure of the SuperSonics for Oklahoma City after the 2008 season.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming here. I’d much rather come here in the postseason than Oklahoma,” Bryant said.
Bryant and the Lakers have faced the Thunder in the postseason twice — a six-game series win in the opening round in 2010 and a five-game series loss in the 2012 Western Conference Semifinals. Oklahoma City advanced to the NBA Finals in 2012.
The Lakers would make the playoffs again in 2013 but were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
Los Angeles missed the playoffs this past season. Bryant, 35, played in only six games during the 2013-2014 season after having surgery on his Achilles tendon in October and was shut down in March following a left knee injury.
KIRILENKO: ‘KIDD COULDN’T HANDLE IT’
Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko had some harsh words for former Nets coach Jason Kidd when he said in a report from a Russian media outlet that Kidd either couldn't handle the pressure in New York or didn't want it.
The 41-year-old, 10-time All-Star point guard led Brooklyn to the Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Miami in his first year as head coach. Miami won that series 4-1. Shortly after the end of the season, he left the Nets in rather controversial fashion after he had interviewed for the Bucks' head coaching job even though Larry Drew was already been in the spot. Without reportedly informing his team, Kidd left for Milwaukee, Drew was let go and Brooklyn ended up hiring Lionel Hollins to replace Kidd.
The 33-year-old Kirilenko, an All-Star in 2004, said of New York that "the pressure is huge" and perhaps Kidd simply couldn't deal with it, according to the report:
"And Kidd couldn’t handle it. Or maybe didn’t want to ... Basically he was not able to do much of anything, if you look at the big picture – we have to admit that fact."
BUCKS AWARDED CONTRACT OF GUARD MARSHALL
The Milwaukee Bucks have been awarded the contract of Kendall Marshall, the secondyear guard who was waived last week by the Lakers.
Marshall appeared in 54 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 8.0 points, 8.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. He shot 39.9 percent from 3-point range.
He’ll be reunited in Milwaukee with Bucks forward John Henson, his teammate at the University of North Carolina.
Phoenix drafted Marshall with the 13th pick in the 2012 draft. He was traded to Washington with Marcin Gortat and two other players for Emeka Okafor and a draft pick.