Select quotes from Kobe’s exit interview:

“If you’re asking me do I believe we can come back and win it again, I absolutely believe that. In terms of this being the decline of the Lakers, it’s nonsense. I remember they had a pretty good era in the ’80s, and they didn’t win three in a row. They didn’t break that team up. If this team came back as is, I think we can win.”

“Next season will be different. I will have this whole offseason to kind of get strong and this way I can get out there and kick their [behinds] in practice and they’ll have no excuses. I think it played a part in the fact that guys think that they can take days off because I’m not there. It’s just like your big brother not being around, you feel like you can do all these sorts of things with the toys and all this other stuff because I’m not on the court with you.”