Does Bryant love LA?

Consider the NBA playoffs officially Kobefied.

The Los Angeles Lakers may have been bounced in the first round, but their superstar, Kobe Bryant, continued to steal headlines yesterday by appearing on Stephen A. Smith's radio show to announce he wanted to be traded.

Then, six hours later in an interview with the Globe, Bryant said he'd rather stay in LA.

Bryant said he was upset the Lakers failed to live up to their promise to build a championship contender immediately, and was steaming over a report in the Los Angeles Times that referenced a "Lakers insider," saying it was Bryant who was behind the movement to ship Shaquille O'Neal out of town, thereby triggering the demise of the franchise.

Last night, Bryant told me he was further frustrated by a statement released by owner Jerry Buss, which Kobe felt minimized his comments and suggested he had not been in communication with the Lakers about his unhappiness.

Buss's statement read, "We are aware of the media reports [concerning Kobe Bryant]. However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded. We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career. We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this."

"Unbelievable," Bryant said. "I called [Lakers general manager] Mitch Kupchak [yesterday] morning to give him a heads-up, to let him know I was going to say I wanted to be traded. That seemed like the right thing to do. So don't act all surprised when the news comes out.

"I'm so tired of all this. The Lakers have been watching me get killed in the media for the past three years. They've sat by and watched me get crucified, and they've done nothing to help me. I've rolled with it up to this point. No more. I'm done."

Bryant was particularly upset with Buss, who has still not contacted him. Asked if he had spoken to the flamboyant owner recently, Kobe answered, "I haven't talked to him in forever. I can't remember the last time we've had a conversation. He's nowhere to be found. It's not like I have his number or anything.

"They said the press release was from San Diego, so I guess he's in the vicinity. When I talked to [coach] Phil [Jackson yesterday] morning, he told me Buss was going to China in a day or so.

"I've heard nothing from him, but then here comes this statement that has Jerry Buss trying to make me sound unprofessional.

"That statement was extremely telling to me. It tells me all I need to know about Jerry Buss."

Although Kobe was emphatic about his desire to be traded yesterday morning when talking to Smith, he had softened his stance last night after speaking with Jackson.

"He was great -- very emotional," Bryant said. "He told me, 'Kobe, I can't blame you for feeling this way. We can't have a situation where our players are feeling unprotected. Let me figure out some things. Give me some time to do that.'

"I love Phil. I respect Phil. As you know, our relationship was terrible the first time around, when he left in 2004. But since he's come back, we've both worked really hard to repair things.

"I trust him, and I believe him. So I'll roll with it for a little while, see what he can do. I never wanted to go nowhere else. I wanted to be a Laker my whole career.

"It's not that I want to go. But how can you stay at a place where they do something like this to you? How can I ever trust these people again?"

Before you get all whipped up about shipping Paul Pierce, or Theo Ratliff, the No. 5 pick, and any youngster the Lakers want out West, understand this: Kobe Bryant isn't going anywhere.

At least not immediately. The Lakers would be absolutely crazy to trade him. And even though he was clearly distraught during my conversation with him last night, Bryant kept coming back to the notion that he always thought he'd play his entire career with the Lakers. He is like many other stars who have been frustrated by their team's lack of success: disappointed, angry, and emotional.

The Lakers will simply wait for him to cool down, then continue with their pursuit of some new personnel to help him -- and the team -- win more games.

Of course, Bryant better hope his owner is thick-skinned. There's no telling how Buss will react to the biting comments of his superstar, whom he is paying an average of nearly $19.5 million a year.

Bryant said he's still furious over someone inside the organization saying he was the person behind O'Neal's departure from Los Angeles, which broke up a group that won three championships.

"I'm telling you, Jerry Buss sat down right in front of me and told me he didn't want to pay Shaq the money to keep him," Bryant fumed. "For years, it's been perceived I was behind it. I let it go because they were media reports. But now someone in my own organization is saying that.

"Lakers insiders! I'm telling you, it's insane. This is an organization that has always been notorious for leaking stuff. I know that. Everyone knows that."

Kobe said he was heartened yesterday by quotes from O'Neal, who said he believed his former teammate "1,000 percent." That, too, is a stunning reversal. Shaq has never been shy in the past about publicly airing his disdain for Bryant.

"I was happy to see that," Bryant said. "I never knew if he believed me or not. I didn't want to run him out. It wasn't like that. For him to get the total picture feels great. I was happy to see those comments. I feel vindicated, in some way."

Bryant can opt out of his contract following the 2008-09 season. If he commits to a change of scenery, then the Lakers might have to consider pulling the trigger before the opt-out comes into play. In the meantime, you can be sure close to every team in the NBA will be dialing Kupchak's cellphone with an offer he can't refuse.

Kobe said he has no preference where he goes. In fact, when pressed, he confessed he's really not sure he wants to go anywhere.

"I'm putting my trust in Phil," Kobe said. "I think I'm still a Laker. I hope I am. But do I want to be one? Right now, my answer is no."

Jackie MacMullan is a Globe columnist. Her e-mail address is macmullan@globe.com.