Kobe Bryant showed up at Lakers' media day with a positive attitude.

"I'm ready to go. I'm happy to see Fish and Chris back," Bryant said of recent acquisition Derek Fisher and center Chris Mihm, who has returned from an injury. "I'm all smiles."

Bryant was asked if spending part of a long summer playing with the U.S. team in an Olympic qualifying tournament helped alleviate some of his frustrations about the Lakers.

"It was a big help playing with guys who enjoy basketball. It was a monster of a team," he said of the U.S. squad, "so I don't relate it to the other team.

"The guys are ready to go, and whatever management decides to do, my role is to get the best out of this team."

Bryant was asked what made him stop his public criticism of the team during the off-season.

"There was too much going on," he said. "I didn't want any distractions; I didn't want anything hanging over the team, so I just shut it down."