This was the relaxed composure the Lakers so desperately wished Kobe Bryant could rediscover. Far from the emotionally charged critic he was two months ago, Bryant on Friday sounded fully supportive of his Lakers teammates and even endorsed the recent work of club management.

Nevertheless, an upbeat Bryant remained steadfastly unwilling to clarify where he stands regarding the Lakers. He did not offer reassurances that he does not want to be traded, and he did not dismiss the idea of refusing to report to October training camp.

Bryant?s basic sentiment was that it was inappropriate to focus on his individual situation when he was joining Team USA for the first time, but he did express regret over so vociferously shredding the Lakers organization in public comments early this offseason.

"I will say that it was my frustrations that prompted me to say what I said," Bryant explained. "If I had to go back and handle the situation differently, I would. The right thing to do now is just to handle it the right way going forward."