Kobe Bryant is all smiles at Lakers media day

At least for one day, it’s all sunshine and gummy bears in Los Angeles. Not only did Kobe Bryant show up to Los Angeles Lakers media day, but just as we had speculated, he was actually happy to be there – towing the company line like some middle management suck-up. Sure Bryant seems to be letting the inept Lakers management off the hook yet again, but, given his seemingly positive attitude on Monday, Lakers fans aren’t complaining.

When asked about his tumultous summer that was, Bryant gave Mitch Kup-cake and ownership a huge pass by saying that his May outburst and trade demands were out of line and came out of sheer frustration. He revealed, just as we had thought, that he and Lakers management had hammered out their differences behind the scenes and were ready to take on the 2007-2008 season with everyone on the same page.

"We purposely didn't say anything because we wanted to keep things to ourselves," Bryant said about his summer of silence. "There was just too much going on - things get misconstrued. We don't need that. We don't need any distractions for the season. There was never a doubt I was coming to camp. They knew that, I knew that. I know they tried [to make a major trade]. It wasn't a lack of effort. That means a lot to me."

"I'm ready to play. I'm in shape, guys look good. I'm ready to go. My job is to come out here on the floor, help us win ballgames." He continued. "I'm a soldier. It's not my decision to say whether or not we should fight the war. My focus and my mind has to be on this team. We have an uphill battle. I'm going to do all I can to help us win."

But, don’t let the love-fest fool you boys and girls, the issues that boiled over in May are far from resolved. Whether it’s midway through the season or at the start of next summer, we probably haven’t heard the last of the Kobe Bryant trade rumors.