Kobe says LeBron skeptics in L.A. will 'fall in line' with wins
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to ever don the Los Angeles Lakers' purple and gold, and some L.A. fans have taken issue with LeBron James being grouped with him already as one of the team's greats.
"I hear that but listen, if you're a fan of mine, you're a fan of winning, you're a fan of the Lakers," Bryant said on "The Rich Eisen Show" when asked about some diehard fans' negative reaction to James being considered part of the Lakers family. "I bleed purple and gold. So that's above anything else. I've been a Lakers fan since I was yay high. That's never going to change, right? And it's about winning championships, so they'll fall in line."
Bryant knows what it takes to win with the Lakers, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy five times with L.A. James is a couple rings shy of his former counterpart, having won three championships as he enters his 16th season.
Despite the questionable construction of the team's roster, Bryant believes James and the rest of the franchise have high expectations for this season.
"I think the goal is always to win championships," he said. "No matter where you go, that's the goal, and that's his goal, that's Rob's (Pelinka) goal, that's Magic's (Johnson) goal, that's Jeanie's (Buss) goal, (Rajon) Rondo, all the guys - (Kyle) Kuzma, Lonzo (Ball). They all want to win championships. That's what they're gunning for."
James has made eight straight Finals appearances, all in the Eastern Conference. In the West, he joins a deep conference led by the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The four-time MVP averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 boards, and 9.1 assists with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.