Kobe Bryant News

Kobe Bryant scored six of his 26 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards 126-120 Sunday night to snap a two-game losing skid.

Sasha Vujacic scored 20 points, Luke Walton added 19, Vladimir Radmanovic 18 and Lamar Odom had 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers notched their 50th victory for the 29th time in franchise history.

Rookie Nick Young led the Wizards with a career-high 27 points and DeShawn Stevenson matched him. Caron Butler had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, and Antawn Jamison added 17. Read more

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers host the streaking Washington Wizards tonight. via WTOP-FM Washington

Rudy Gay led five players in double figures with 28 points and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 114-111 despite 53 points by Kobe Bryant against the NBA’s worst road team Friday night.

The Lakers lost their second in a row to another of the NBA’s lesser teams, having been beaten by Charlotte on Wednesday night. The latest loss kept them from joining New Orleans and San Antonio in a three-way tie for the Western Conference lead.

Bryant scored 50 or more points for the 23rd time and the second this month. He had 52 against Dallas on March 2. The Lakers fell to 16-7 when he goes for that many. Read more

“Gerald did such a good job of locking him up.”

His strut was rapid through the concrete hallway, as Kobe Bryant exited Staples Center on Wednesday. Sunglasses covered his eyes even though the sun had long ago set.

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar, wasn’t about to stop to talk to reporters. He’d already said too much on the court, reacting to his ejection against the Charlotte Bobcats with a loud profanity directed at the referees.

Frustrated? Oh, yeah. Bryant scored 27, but his 8-of-22 shooting was far from efficient for a player in contention to be the NBA’s most valuable player. Read more

“The call was incorrect. “After looking at the play, the foul was on Fisher and not Ellis. It appeared that Fisher pulled Ellis down.”

With four seconds left in overtime, Delaney called an offensive foul on Monta Ellis, who collided with Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher and fell to the floor before the ball was inbounded. via San Jose Mercury News

Kobe Bryant is all smiles at the July 1996 news conference where he was introduced after the Lakers acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vlade Divac. via Hampton Roads Daily Press

“Everyone talks about the MVP and they talk about numbers, but this guy has changed the whole culture around here, and I think that says a lot for everything. The mentality, to a day-to-day aspect, everything is changed from a year ago.”

Rout by Celtics makes for some good viewing Eddie House is feeling good after hitting a 3-pointer in the fourth. via Boston.com

** Remember when the NBA toughened its rules interpretation, telling officials not to allow players to publicly show them up without drawing a technical foul?

Despite all that, Kobe Bryant gets away with far too much. In the second quarter, after he fouled Jason Richardson on a 3-pointer, knocking him to the floor, Bryant pitched a fit at referee David Jones and never heard a whistle for it.

You cheapen a sport, and undermine authority, when you allow superstars to rage on with impunity. Read more

“Everybody’s over the game already. We’re back to being ourselves. We’re healing up and getting ready for (tonight)”

Kobe Bryant had a wound under his left eye and his cheek was puffy. Lamar Odom had ice packs strapped to his knees. via Daily Breeze

“People are writing about that, that I have no chance. I don’t agree with that”

A contrite Andres Nocioni said Monday he has no excuse for his outburst at interim head coach Jim Boylan during Saturday night’s loss, the latest episode in a season turned sour for the Chicago Bulls. via Fox Sports

Kobe Bryant knocks the ball out of the hands of Golden State Warriors’ Kosta Perovic on Sunday, March 23, 2008, in Los Angeles. via KABC

Man, did the NBA need this season. The last few years, pretty much the only headlines generated by professional basketball were ugly: Brawls, nightclub incidents, sleazy executives and cheating referees … via Courier News Online

“In any other year, he’d be highly spoken about”

In the last 15 seasons, the NBA’s most valuable player has repeated as winner of the award only twice. via Dallas Morning News

Kobe Bryant led seven Los Angeles players in double figures Friday and the Lakers coasted to a 130-105 drubbing of Seattle. via UPI

Dirk Nowitzki missed a harried three-pointer at the buzzer Tuesday, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to get out of Dallas with a 102-100 win. via ArcaMax Publishing