I really don't know what else I can do to motivate my Laker teammates. I've chewed them out before, during and after games. I gave up the rock for ten assists Thursday night--that's pretty damn good, if I do say so myself, which I just did.

And what do the rest of the guys go and do? Blow a 24-point lead! And now we're down three games to one to the Celtics.

I just wish I could get people to be as unselfish as I am.

I ain't asking anybody to be Mother Teresa, but if you don't pass me the damn ball, I can't score. If I pass you the ball and you don't score, I don't get an assist. I told everybody, the endorsements I'll get when we lose the NBA Finals are basically limited to local car dealerships and non-franchise pizza restaurants. Chump change.

That's why I laid it on the line for everybody at practice today. Lissen up, you bunch a Eurotrash cream puffs and gangsta tattoo magnets, I said. You've got to understand one thing.

Kobe's gonna win this thing, okay. So let's all work together and play as hard as we can to make Kobe look as good as he can.

There may be an "I" in team--I don't know, and I don't wanna know. But there sure is no "I" in "Kobe".  

 (Photo credit: Associated Press)