Kobe Bryant criticizes teammates following loss

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- At age 37, Kobe Bryant's 'Black Mamba' days are behind him.

But that doesn't stop the All-Time NBA and Los Angeles legend from making some noise.

The Lakers, losers of six straight games, needed leadership following a 121-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. So No. 24 knew just what his young teammates needed to hear.

"His message was basically 'You've got to compete every night,' " Coach Byron Scott told the Los Angeles Times. "The biggest thing I got from all the comments that he made was 'Don't blame it on anybody else. Don't blame it on the schemes, or you're not getting your minutes, or your touches.' "

Other outlets also picked up the Bryant feedback, given to a team holding a 9-37 record.

Bryant "became upset both with the Lakers for losing their sixth consecutive game and for some on the team smiling after the loss," sources told InsideSoCal.com. "Bryant took particular aim at Lakers rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell and second-year forward Julius Randle and even called them out by name."

"You know I don't do the gossip [expletive]," Bryant said, according to InsideSoCal.com.

Bryant is averaging 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 29.1 minutes per game this season. In Saturday's loss to the Trail Blazers, Bryant bucketed 5-of-9 shots for 10 points, while pulling down two rebounds and notching one assist in 24 minutes.

Bryant is banking $25,000,000 in his last NBA season. The 18-time All-Star and five-time NBA Champion, made approximately $303,238,062 from the Lakers alone before the start of this season, according to Basketball Reference.