NBA

Kobe seeking stability to solve Lakers’ issues

Kobe Bryant was talking with his good friend Carmelo Anthony in the wake of the Linsanity fever that swept New York last season. Bryant had one question for Anthony.

“What the hell are you doing?” Bryant said.

What Bryant said he saw was a guy who was simply not being himself. Last night, before he sprained an ankle, Anthony — as he has all season — was himself.

“Melo was sensational,” Bryant said after Anthony scored 30 points in 23 minutes before leaving the Knicks’ 116-107 victory over the Lakers with the injury.

“He’s playing the way he’s always played throughout his career. He’s in an environment where they celebrate that and encourage that. He is being who he is,” Bryant said.

Far cry from last season. And Bryant put some of the blame on the media.

“He and I are good friends,” Bryant said after scoring 31 points in a losing effort. “We talked last year. He and I are good friends. We talked together and last year was very tough for him because he got criticized a lot for shooting, playing the way he likes to play. And then the whole Linsanity thing happened and everybody said, ‘They’re better without Carmelo’ and all that nonsense. You guys put the hammer on him and as a result, he kind of got a little gun shy, a little self-conscious.”

So Anthony and Bryant had that chat. Bryant told him to be himself, to do what he does best. And it certainly helped that “he organization surrounded him with pieces that allowed him to do that and now all you guys are celebrating him. God bless you guys.”

Bryant may feel a twinge of jealousy as he sees Anthony and the Knicks soaring while the Lakers continue to struggle. Asked what tops his wish list for the Lakers — other than getting the injured pieces back — Bryant hopes for stability.

“Stability has been the thing that’s been missing. We haven’t had stability,” said Bryant, producing another wonderful individual season amid the 9-14 muck that has enveloped the disappointing Lakers. “[Fired coach] Mike Brown with his system then he’s gone and [interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff is] in and no system and then it’s D’Antoni in. … It’s been crazy.”

And disappointing and frustrating. And Bryant does not blame Mike D’Antoni, who is figuring it out along with his team.

“It’s not fair. He’s been thrown into a situation,” Bryant said. “It’s been a huge adjustment for all of us. And we’ve been asked to figure it out with some key pieces that are out. When they come back we’ll get this thing locked and loaded.”