Jared Dudley Says 'Most Guys' Don't Want to Play with Kobe Bryant

Apparently, Jared Dudley isn't going to hold back when he has something to say. 

The Milwaukee Bucks small forward appeared on a number of ESPN shows Wednesday morning, but the most notable moment came when discussing Kobe Bryant with Colin Cowherd. Let's just say it's now a safe assumption that the 29-year-old isn't going to be joining the Los Angeles Lakers at any point in the near future and that he's going to have his work cut out for him the first time he goes against the future Hall of Famer during the 2015-16 season.

Here's the full clip of his thoughts on Bryant (h/t SlamOnline.com's Marcel Mutoni): 

As transcribed by Jake O'Donnell of SportsGrid.com, the most relevant part of the conversation came when Dudley explained, "Most guys don’t want to play with Kobe. He gets in this thing where he doesn’t pass and then overpasses and then tries to get triple-doubles every night. … That's why I think it will be a while for the Lakers to get good, because they’ve got no stars. I would be surprised if [Kevin] Love goes there."

It's also worth noting that Dudley didn't bite his tongue when discussing other topics. He called Zach Randolph the most underrated player in the league while pointing to Carmelo Anthony's lackluster facilitation skills and defensive ability as the reason he's the most overrated.

But the Bryant quote is obviously the biggest story among the many bombshells; we've all heard this one before. 

Harry How/Getty Images

Last offseason, Henry Abbott dropped an infamous feature article for ESPN.com that claimed Bryant was destroying the Lakers organization. It began with the line, "If one common denominator has persisted throughout Bryant's tenure with the Lakers, it is this: The blame lands elsewhere, and usually with teammates," and continued in a similar vein. 

Of course, the response to the piece was overwhelming. Lakers president Jeanie Buss was particularly outspoken in defending her star player, and there was no shortage of outcry from a fanbase that consistently ranks as one of the league's most passionate bunches. 

Now, we can expect something similar to unfold.

Tom Lynn/Getty Images

As the world justifiably springs to Bryant's defense, Dudley is likely going to be the subject of ridicule in the coming days and weeks. And when the Lakers and Bucks meet, you can be sure that a certain 2-guard is going to be seeking out isolation sets against him.

Bryant isn't going to lose any sleep over these comments, but Dudley might before he matches up against the Purple and Gold. 

Then again, this Buck may ultimately have the last laugh. 

Even if there are plenty of other factors that need consideration—players wanting to avoid the Western Conference, the difficulty of competing with a team starting from scratch, etc.—the Lakers aren't guaranteed to sign big-name free agents this offseason. They'll certainly try to do so, but that was the failed plan last year as well. 

If that scenario unfolds again, forcing The Lake Show to experience a bit of unfortunate deja vu, Dudley will seem prophetic, even if he isn't necessarily accurate.

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.