Mitch Kupchak: 'Kobe Bryant won't pick new Los Angeles Lakers coach'

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has said that Kobe Bryant will not be involved in selecting the team's new coach.

The veteran shooting guard recently said that he would like to be consulted as the team searches for a replacement coach, following Mike D'Antoni's resignation at the end of the season.

Kupchak told ESPN: "From time to time we ask his advice. He really won't weigh in on something like this. I'm not even sure that we'll talk to him prior to interviews.

"But from time to time, he is in our facility, I'll go downstairs and I'll talk to him about a bunch of different things.

"Whether it's an experienced coach or inexperienced coach, I'm not quite sure what direction we'll go right now. I know our fans in Los Angeles are impatient, so it's not like we're on a seven- or eight-year rebuild schedule. We're going to try to win as soon as possible. It may take more than a year, but we're not going to try to drag it out."

The Lakers finished last in the Pacific Division this season, missing out on a place in the playoffs for just the second time in 20 years.