Pau Gasol understands Kobe Bryant's rant against Lakers' front office

Pau Gasol heard about Kobe Bryant's front-office rant. He understood it.

"I respect a guy that speaks his mind and I respect a guy that wants to win," Gasol told The Times on Friday. "And that's what Kobe's trying to do, to make sure everybody's doing the best they can for him to be in a position to be able to win."

A day earlier, Bryant challenged Lakers upper management to bury any differences, singling out team executives and siblings Jim Buss and Jeanie Buss.