“It’ll be interesting,” Bryant said after the Lakers beat the Knicks, 100-90, Tuesday. “It’ll be interesting. I know those guys want to sit back and see their options. New York will definitely be one of the options. Whether they go or not, I don’t know.”
Bryant said he believed New York has never had one of the league’s most notable players, like Bryant, James, or Michael Jordan. (Bryant seems to count
Hall of Famers like Walt Frazer, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Patrick Ewing as role players). They may land a player of Bryant’s caliber next summer. It just won’t be him.
“It’ll make a difference,” Bryant said. “That city has never had that. They’ve never had a flashy or marquee guy. If you look back to the years that they won championships, it’s always been a team effort. They never had a star, so this will be the first time they’ve had one of those guys…”