Kobe Bryant had a private conversation with Derrick Rose when the Lakers defeated the Bulls in Los Angeles last month, but L.A.'s superstar isn't about to pass the torch to Chicago's point guard.

"Oh, sure, but I ain't passing (expletive)," Bryant said when asked if the conversation might have any symbolic passing of the torch undertones to it.

Asked if Rose has to come take the torch from him, Bryant smiled.

"He can certainly try," he said.

Bryant did go on to complement Rose.

"I think the sky is the limit for him," he said. "You see the improvement he's made with his jump shot from last year to this year and how much his game has gone to another level. I think he's realizing now what a jumper can do. Hopefully, he'll continue to work on it and become a pure shooter."