Kobe: Lakers will be champs soon, 'laughing at all the Warrior fans'
Perhaps the Black Mamba is aware that some of the Golden State Warriors' core members are closing in on his personal tally of five NBA titles.
Speaking at a Los Angeles Lakers fan event Monday, Kobe Bryant reassured the hometown faithful that any growing pains facing the team will be temporary, and that the purple and gold will once again find themselves atop the league in the near future.
"They will figure it out," Bryant said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "They have talented pieces and (Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka) has put them in position with incredible flexibility. They will figure it out. So, enjoy the journey because we'll be champions before you know it, and then we'll just be laughing at all the Warrior fans who all of the sudden came out of nowhere."
Extending to Bryant's final three seasons as a player, the Lakers have missed the postseason in each of the past five campaigns, by far the longest drought in the history of the franchise. Prior to the stretch from 2014-18, the Lakers had only missed the playoffs five times in their history, and back-to-back years just once (1975-76).
However, with four-time MVP LeBron James joining the historic organization in the offseason, the Lakers are on track to snap that streak. They currently boast a 14-9 record, good for the fifth seed in a competitive Western Conference, thanks in part to James picking up the slack for a roster populated with still-developing youngsters and gregarious veterans.
"It's a test of Bron's patience and also doing what he needs to do to keep the team's head above water. So, it's a balancing act," Bryant added. "They were struggling, Bron got the ball, took control, decided to start playing point, doing everything, doing everything.
"That's not the recipe for winning championships by no means, but it is a recipe to keep your head above water, to give yourself a little breathing room and now it's going back to teaching how to play the way that we want to play."