Shortly after NBA Commissioner David Stern vetoed a three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers and Lamar Odom to the Hornets, the purple and gold shipped the reigning Sixth Man of the Year to the Dallas Mavericks.
In return, L.A. received Dallas' 2012 first-round pick, a $8.9 million trade exception.. and a frustrated Kobe Bryant.
On Sunday, the five-time NBA champion vented to reporters about the trade during Lakers training camp.
"You're talking about the Sixth Man of the Year last year. He played lights out. I don't understand the criticism of reality shows and this, that and the other. I don't get it," he said. "He clearly wasn't a distraction. He played his ass off. I don't get where that comes from. Now I'm getting pissed off."
Later, Bryant joked that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is likely to protest this trade as he did the Lakers' bid for Paul.
Following Stern's veto, Cuban told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that he agreed with the decision to nix the deal because the owners just fought for small-market teams and their ability to keep their star players during the lockout.
When the blockbuster trade to New Orleans looked to be final, Odom was noticeably upset and nearly cried on the radio while discussing his possible departure from Los Angeles. A Lakers source told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that Odom requested a trade upon hearing that the team was trying to give him up.