It's been a while, but the KB24.com cameras caught up with Kobe at today's shootaround and he provided us with something new: A Truth update in video format.

Click here to watch and hear his message to you.

I found these quotes from Colin Powell to be inspirational, and felt they would help set the tone for our ball club going into the season. Each player on the team received a copy, and I thought I would share them with you as well:

1. "A dream doesn't become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."

2. "Success is a result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence."

3. "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

Strength and honor,
KB

Normally, this area is reserved for Kobe's thoughts. But today, we're highlighting comments from fans in the KB24.com forums:

Kobe: demand that trade.....the Lakers decided this was Bynum's team and not yours when they didn't make a trade at the deadline...you're not being selfish, you're being honest....I'll be a fan of yours wherever you go. Freshen things up a little, go to Philly or Chi-town, or rock the Big Apple- I mean how cool would that be for the NBA?
- 10milliondollarzen

"What the heck is going on here? We have the number one player right here in our home town and all we can do is sit on our butts. Outside of Jeanie, there is not a Buss that knows what they are doing. I am sorry for sharing my disgust with one of the most legendary owners in our lifetime, but this is ridiculous. Jerry Buss and Mitch are about to lose the best fan base in the country if this goes sour. Let's get together and Keep Kobe in LA. The only way you are going to do this is lose the paralysis by analysis and make a freaking deal...NOW!!!
- craig319

"I would feel the same way if I were Kobe. This team has not made moves to stay competitive over the last few years. Even when they were winning championships they were still getting by on Shaq, Kobe, a shooter, and a vet. The rest of the team was scrubs and vets at the end of their career. The sad thing is that there have been players available and the Lakers were not making it happen. "
- tyclef

"I love you, Kob. There is no doubt in my mind that you wouldn't be doing this had J. Buss not misled you. Not trading for Kidd because we wanted to keep Bynum was a huge mistake. One of many, I'm sure. If indeed you are heading to Chi-Town, I will be right behind you."
- alidecastro

"You can't just expect a player of Kobe's caliber to just sit back and waste his career on a team that clearly doesn't want to win a championship. I was a Lakers fan before Kobe but the front office is killing my loyalty."
- sdog1300

"As a long time Lakers fan, I am also a fan of the players. If the Lakers won't support Kobe's attempts to make the team better, then he should have the right to go elsewhere."
- mlcgruhlke

"Your ability is unmatched in the league, and I cannot bring myself to think of Kobe Bryant in any jersey other than the Purple and Gold. I can't speculate on how disappointed you must be in the Lakers' braintrust, but I can say how disappointed I am as a Lakers fan that the organization has done so little to surround the best player in the league with mediocre talent. It makes it difficult to remain loyal to the team when the organization's actions show nothing in the way of bringing a better product to the court and relying solely on Kobe Bryant as a way to sell tickets and merchandise."
- senator

"I would be doing the exact same thing Kobe is doing now and ask for a trade. Kobe is making the Lakers make a choice and I believe it is the right thing to do. Kobe should be winning now after three years of rebuilding but no he is not because they are still rebuilding. I support Kobe's every move and as a player he deserves to win and if leaving the Lakers helps him win I am all for that."
- Britsag8924

"If I were him I would ask to be trade b/c the team didn't come through on what they promised. Even though it would be tough on me as a Lakers fan, he deserves to go somewhere where he has enough talent to win a championship."
- lakergator24

"Kobe should leave and continue his quest for a championship to prove everyone wrong!!!"
- KBFAN4EVER

Was up again, y'all.

I saw an article this AM in the LA Times which said a Lakers' "insider" noted that my wanting to "get away from Shaq" is what created this whole "mess" the Laker's currently find themselves in.

Man, hearing something like that, which is not true, and which comes from the "inside" is totally frustrating. The fact of the matter is that many people don't know what really went down when I was approaching free agency because I have stayed quiet about it this whole time.

The real facts are that Dr. Buss requested a meeting with me during the 04 season long before I opted out of my contract, and he told me he had already decided to not extend Shaq, as he was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss thought it was best for the Lakers to make a trade to get value for Shaq while they could.

Dr. Buss made it clear that his decision was final, his mind was made up and no matter what I decided to do with free agency he was still going to move Shaq.

I've heard many people say "the Lakers are letting Kobe take the bullet for the Shaq trade" but I always just let that go. But now when I hear "Lakers insider" it makes me feel so unsupported that a Lakers "insider" is tryin to spin Dr Buss' decision about Shaq on me.

Laker fans should know that when I was a free agent Dr. Buss called me from his Vacation in Italy on the eve of my decision and promised me that the Lakers would do everything to build a contender NOW. I told him at that time that my fear was the Lakers waiting to save Cap Room to sign a top notch free agent in 3 or 4 years, so that was why I was leaning towards other teams like the Clips and Bulls, both of who had a cast of good young players.

But Dr. Buss promised me he would rebuild right away, and I believed him. That is why I put my trust in the Lakers. As I said yesterday, I am a die hard Laker fan, so I will keep my trust in them to remain here and play for the team I love.

But, when stuff like this is coming from the "inside" all I can do is hope that someone from the "inside" comes forward to support me and set straight the facts of what really happened.

This is the TRUTH.

Wassup y'all ...

Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family. When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING. That is plain and simply what it's all about. It's in my DNA. It's what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It's my daily passion and pursuit.

The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future. The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent. I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series. All of that was frustrating in itself, but then, this week to have someone "inside" the Laker organization try to blame me in the media for us not being a contender right now -- that is what brought me to my current position today.

I want it to be clear that I still love, with all my heart, the Laker Legacy. From Mikan to West to Goodrich to Wilt to Kareem to Magic. That will never change. And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that.

But, now there is a new road ahead. I am gonna keep grindin and keep workin to get back to competing for Championships. Sometimes the trek up the mountain is tough. But, I know we'll get there.

Strength and Honor,
Kobe