Kobe Bryant Talks Carmelo Anthony, Byron Scott, More During Kobe Academy Presser

Prior to his youth summer basketball camp at UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, Kobe Bryant took time out to answer questions from the media, addressing everything from Carmelo Anthony to his physical fitness. 

He was really excited about it, too: 

It's beginning to look more and more like 'Melo will re-sign with the New York Knicks, but that didn't keep Mamba from expressing his desire to play with the seven-time NBA All-Star.     

Lakers Nation's Serena Winters captured the quote: 

While he was open to talking about the highly sought-after free agent, he wasn't able to provide any inside scoop, as ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted: 

When it comes to the eight-year-olds, on the other hand, he may be a little more forthcoming:

We'll be sure to keep you updated once little Jimmy breaks the news on the future of Anthony and LeBron James. In the meantime, Bryant continued to discuss the Lakers and free agency. 

Even with players like Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons signing offer sheets while the Lakers wait around for the Anthony domino to fall, Kobe isn't opposed to his team's strategy: 

He also was optimistic that a backup plan is in place, even if Anthony opts to go in a different direction:

That said, he won't be a happy camper—literally—if the Lakers don't add some significant pieces to help him win right away: 

Bryant also had a message for Pau Gasol, who is currently testing the free-agent waters and talking to several other teams: 

Of course, with the Lakers intent on filling out the roster, it's easy to forget they still don't have a head coach. If Kobe could pick—there's no denying he has plenty of clout in the decision-making process—he would go with former Lakers guard Byron Scott: 

Another storyline surrounding Mamba this offseason has been his weight. A picture of Bryant looking a bit out of shape recently surfaced, and because all photos on the Internet are both genuine and not at all misleading, it led to speculation that he has put on some pounds. 

Bryant put an end to those rumors, however: 

It's already over a week into July, but Bryant and the Lakers still have a very busy offseason ahead of them, from using their barrels of cap space to avoid a rebuilding year to figuring out who will run the team from the bench. 

Still, despite all the variables surrounding La La Land, Bryant, for the most part, sounded confident in his team's plans and future. With a quiet summer so far, it's never a bad thing to get some reassurance from your team's superstar. 

On Wednesday, Bryant gave Lakers Nation just that.