Lakers Rumors: Injured Kobe Bryant Ready To Play Since Last Month? Team GM Mitch Kupchak Says He Won’t Ask For Opinion Of ‘Black Mamba’ On Coaching Hire

Lakers rumors can be quelled with a little good news straight from the horse's mouth. Mitch Kupchak confirmed that if the NBA 2014-2015 season begins today, the injured Kobe Bryant would be ready to join the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the lakers GM insisted that the "Black Mamba" won't be consulted with regards to coaching hire.

As per ESPN, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak attended the draft combine in Chicago where he talked to reporters about the injured Kobe Bryant.

"He's been working out everyday at our facility, he looks good," he said. "I think he'll be ready to go. He was probably ready to go a month ago."

As to the Lakers rumors that the team would confer with Kobe Bryant before hiring their next coach, Mitch Kupchak said the organization will only take his suggestions under advisement but will proceed according to their own plans.

"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," Mitch Kupchak added.

But that's the last thing that the injured Kobe Bryant wanted. He previously told Jimmy Kimmel Live that the last two coaches of the LA Lakers didn't reach out to him for inputs and both ended in disasters.

"On the third one, I'm hoping they do," he said.

The Lakers rumors on the coaching hire have been swirling around Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Byron Scott and even Derek Fisher.

Kobe Bryant loves Tom Thibodeau, particularly his defensive mindset, ethics and dedication to the game, Yahoo Sportscolumnist Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.

"Bryant will wish for Tom Thibodeau to free himself from Chicago," the columnist wrote, but quickly added that the "Black Mamba" "loves Jeff Van Gundy, and shares management's affinity for Euro legend Ettore Messina," as well.