Kobe Bryant on Lakers: 'We're not a 3-11 team'
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryanttold ESPN's Baxter Holmes on Tuesday that the Lakers are "not a 3-11 team. We're not."
Los Angeles, who started the season 1-9 on the way to its current 3-11 record, has lost two straight games. The Lakers are giving up an NBA-highest 111.6 points per game, including allowing 140 points to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
On Monday, the team announced guard Xavier Henry will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Henry is the third Los Angeles player to be lost for the season, after guard Steve Nash was sidelined right before the season began and rookie forward Julius Randle fractured his leg in the season opener.
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Forward Ryan Kelly tore his hamstring last week and will miss six weeks, while guard Nick Young recently returned to action after missing 10 games with a thumb injury. Guard Wayne Ellington returned to the court on Friday after spending 10 days away from the team following the death of his father.
The 36-year-old Bryant is averaging a team-high 26.7 points per game, to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists through 14 games.
The Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
- Molly Geary
