I always thought he was a jerk.
<H3>By Doug Ware - KUTV.com
</H3>(KUTV) LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant wants out of Los Angeles ??? unless the Lakers bring back Jerry West.
According to a report by ESPN, the Lakers??? star guard is frustrated with the direction that the team is heading and he wants the organization to bring West back and give him total control of the team.
If they don???t, Kobe says he wants to be traded.
Jerry West was general manager of the Lakers during the 1980s and 1990s, when the team captured seven NBA championships. The last time the Lakers won the NBA title, however, was in 2002. The following year, the team traded star center Shaquille O???Neal to the Miami Heat and the Lakers haven???t won a championship since.
For the past five years, West has been director of operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he will leave the team when his contract expires on July 1.
Bryant says he is frustrated that the team has not made any significant moves since it re-signed him.
"I want to see us get to a contending level," he told The Los Angeles Times. "I want to see us become a championship contender. It's been a frustrating process for me and I'm sure it's been a frustrating process for all Laker fans. I'm just hoping we can get to that level. I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."
Mitch Kupchak is the current Lakers general manager.
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