Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant reiterated that he will not ask his team to trade him anytime soon in order to have a good chance of winning another title before he retires.
Recent trade rumors suggested that Bryant might ask the Lakers to deal him to the New York Knicks where he could reunite with his former coach and current New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson, and former teammate and current Knicks coach Derek Fisher.
But while the Lakers are not expected to contend for the title this season, Bryant reiterated that he is not planning to leave Los Angeles, saying that he will be a Laker - both in good and bad times.
"It's not going to happen," Bryant told USA Today when asked about a possible trade. "It's not going to happen. You go through the good times, you've got to go through the bad times."
The 36-year-old superstar added that he has a no-trade clause in the two-year, $48.5 million contract that he signed in November last year, which makes him confident that their team executives also have no plans to part ways with him until he decides to call it quits.
"It's not going to happen," Bryant stressed. "I have a no-trade clause. (Lakers governor) Jeanie (Buss) and (Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations) Jimmie (Buss) aren't sending me anywhere."
Bryant, who is playing in his 19th season in Los Angeles, also told Yahoo Sports last week that he is committed to leading the Lakers back to respectability after having one of their worst records in franchise history last season.
"I hear the chatter of Kobe should ask out and he should go and play for a contender in this latter stage of his career," Bryant said. "But that's not what I do. I'm extremely loyal to the Lakers. I believe in fighting through the tough times as well as enjoying the good times. It's my responsibility to get us to be the best that we can be."
The Lakers started the season with five-straight defeats before Bryant and Jeremy Lin scored 21 points each to lead Los Angeles to a 107-92 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. They will look to score their second win when they collide with the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in Memphis.
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