Bryant on Bell: 'Do I know this guy?'
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When Kobe Bryant was clotheslined and thrown to the floor by Raja Bell on Tuesday night, he just smiled.
And refrained from retaliating.
When Bryant was attacked verbally Wednesday by Bell, he just smiled. And retaliated a little.
Bryant, who has led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 3-2 series lead against the Phoenix Suns, seemed surprised but not particularly bothered that Bell, suspended for tonight's Game 6 because of the flagrant foul, would say he has no respect for Bryant and called him a "pompous, arrogant individual."
"Do I know this guy?" Bryant said. "I don't know this guy. I might have said one word to this guy.
"I think he overreacts to stuff. ... I don't think about him. ... I don't know this kid. I don't need to know this kid. I don't want to. We go out there and play the game and leave it at that.
"Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. I look at him a little bit and he gets a little insecure about something."
Both Bryant and Lakers coach Phil Jackson said they were hoping Bell would not be suspended.
"You always want to compete against the opposition's best," Bryant said.
While the Suns will have to adjust tonight to playing without Bell, their primary Bryant defender, the Lakers will again try to ignore the distraction of an investigation of sexual assault of center Kwame Brown, first revealed Tuesday. Police said Brown has not yet been interviewed in the case.
"It just takes the focus off the game for a second," Jackson said. "These players need to be just focused on one thing. It's a one-pointed effort right now."
Brown declined to discuss the investigation and said he has been able to concentrate on basketball.
"Life goes on," he said. "I've got a duty to my team and to myself. You've got to go to work every day, don't you?"
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