Lakers exec says Kobe should have been called about coach

The Lakers picked former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as Phil Jackson's successor.

"Looking back on it, we should have contacted Kobe," Jim Buss said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Kobe said it was management's job to pick a coach. He just said, 'Defense first.' That's what we were doing, but we should have reached out to him."

After the Lakers' season ended with a sweep at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, Bryant endorsed longtime Jackson assistant Brian Shaw to be promoted to head coach.

Bryant did not call Brown after he was hired but the two have been in contact. In an interview on ESPN during halftime of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, Brown said he already had exchanged text messages with Bryant.