Despite Criticism Kobe Preaches Focus

The ESPN article, quoting anonymous sources, framed Bryant as someone who alienated potential free agents and teammates.

“It’s not the first one, it’s not going to be the last one,” Bryant said. “The one thing I’ve come to understand over the years is that you’ll have a bad story that comes out on a Monday and it seems like it’s the end of the world. It seems like everybody is taking shots at you.

“It’s a cycle. And things are never as good or as bad as they seem at the moment in time. So you stay focused on the big picture. Things are never really as bleak as they seem at the time. I just kind of roll with it.”

via Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times