Kobe Bryant and recently signed Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin were told by new head coach Byron Scott to “be ready to play some defense” next season.
After last season’s abysmal outing, Scott took the job a few weeks ago.In his coaching tenure, Scott has been known as a proponent for strong defense--namely when he coached New Orleans with Tyson Chandler, as CBS notes.
Scott has reportedly spoken with Bryant and other members of the team. “He told me he was working out with Wesley [Johnson] and Nick [Young],” Scott said, reported ESPN. “I told them that sounded great, but they ‘better be ready to play some defense.’”
According to Dime magazine, Boozer said he’s not “done yet” and plans to be a leader in Los Angeles.
“Going through the amnesty process was kind of a weird process, but the Chicago Bulls were great about it. They talked to my agent and I the entire time. I knew I had two days for teams to bid on me and I really didn’t know which teams were interested. I had no clue” Boozer told the magazine.
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Boozer said he’s glad the Lakers claimed it. “Kobe’s one of the best players to ever put a jersey on, and one of the best competitors in the history of sports, and one of the best leaders. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that” he said.
Boozer added: “I’ve been a leader everywhere I’ve been. My whole thing is trying to get better, each day every day. I think Randle is a stud and I enjoyed watching him play in college…He has all the tools to be a great NBA player. I’m looking forward to working with him. I’m looking forward to teaching him some of the things I’ve learned along the way. But I’m excited to play with all my teammates. We’ve got some talent on this team. We have some guys with stuff to prove, myself included, and I think we’re going to surprise some people.”
The reports come as the Lakers reportedly have expressed interest with Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion.
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