Lakers Rumors: Does Kobe Have More Control over Team Than Mike Brown?

Despite the titles that they hold, Kobe Bryant clearly has way more control over the Los Angeles Lakers than Mike Brown.

It really isn't even close.

There are many ways one can tell that Bryant is the one running the team and not the other way around.

The way the offense is run, the things teammates are saying off-the-court and a comparison of each man's reputation all point to this being Bryant's team over it being Brown's team.

Who's the Man?

Let's think about this for a bit.

Kobe Bryant is arguably the second-best shooting guard in the history of the game. He has won five championships, won Finals MVP twice and NBA MVP once. He's been an All-Star 14 times and been on more All-NBA teams than I care to type about.

Mike Brown is a former NBA Coach of the Year award winner and has been to one NBA Finals. He's a Greg Popovich disciple who believes in defense above all else.

Brown's resume isn't bad at all, but it pales in comparison to that of Bryant.

The truth is that players are going to listen to Bryant over Brown. In fact, the management of the Lakers itself is probably going to listen to Bryant over him.

That's just the NBA today.

Superstar players have become bigger than their coaches and, in some cases, even their teams.

Pau Sounds Off

Apparently the players themselves aren't too happy with the current state of Laker affairs right now either.

Pau Gasol, who has a right to be on-edge because of constant trade rumors, made some interesting comments recently to a radio station in Spain.

The comments were in his native Spanish, so the translation may not be the best, but you can get the gist of it. Gasol basically states that the Lakers are selfish and unfocused, and that they are not using their talent effectively.

That's great to hear, and most of the blame for all of that should go to Bryant. That is something a player should tell his coach and team leaders in a meeting.

But when you have a hard-headed star who wants to shoot a lot and a coach who won't stand up to him, what can you do?

Shoot Too Much?

Right now, Bryant is dominating the offense and not always in a good way. In a loss to Washington recently, Bryant missed more shots than his two big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, were able to shoot total.

But who is going to tell him to pass the ball? He's the most experienced guy in the NBA when it comes to winning.

Against the Celtics on Sunday, Bryant supposedly asked to be used as a decoy on the final play and that the ball go in to Andrew Bynum for the shot.

It is hard to believe, but it has been confirmed by Mike Brown.

This could have been in response Brown criticizing Bryant for going 9-for-31 from the field in the aforementioned game against Washington.

However, according to the LA Times, Brown retracted that in a team meeting and apologized to Bryant in front of his whole team and staff.

Are you kidding me? Brown finally has the stones to call out Bryant for being a blatant ball hog and then chickens out.

If that doesn't prove whose team this is nothing does.

Mike Brown has no control over this team, and, unlike Lebron James in Cleveland, Kobe Bryant really doesn't seem care about at least making it look like this is Brown's team.

Something has to give in this dynamic. Otherwise, the Lakers could be led down into the NBA doldrums by the man who had led them to the mountaintops.

Meanwhile, the man who gets paid to steer the ship will just be along for the ride.