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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Immediately after the Los Angeles Lakers declared Kobe Bryant out for the season, he already was thinking about how to make sure the Lakers will be much less miserable when he returns. Bryant expressed only mild frustration Wednesday after the long-expected decision to end his 18th NBA season after just six games. The superstar guards broken bone in his left knee has kept him out since shortly before Christmas, and it still hasnt healed enough for weight-bearing exercise. With just five weeks left in their injury-ravaged season, the Lakers (22-42) elected to preserve Bryant for next year, when hell be 36. And though Bryant has barely played, he is determined to make sure the Lakers failures of this season arent repeated in 2014-15. The Lakers ruthlessly competitive scorer cant take much more of this incompetence from his 16-time NBA champion franchise. "I feel like killing everybody every time I go to the arena," Bryant said. "Im just on edge all the time. Yeah, I still feel it, probably more than anybody in the organization does. I probably feel it more, and it drives me absolutely crazy." Bryant clearly identified the Lakers top off-season priorities in his mind, and they didnt include specific free-agent additions. The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history called on the Lakers front office -- and owner Jim Buss in particular -- to set "a clear direction" for the franchises return to the top after they miss the playoffs this spring for just the second time in his career. "Youve got to start with Jim," Bryant said. "Youve got to start with Jim and Jeanie (Buss), and how that relationship plays out. It starts there, and having clear direction and clear authority. And then it goes down to the coaching staff, and whats Mike (DAntoni) going to do, what they want to do with Mike, and then it goes from there. Its got to start at the top." Phil Jacksons apparent decision to take a front-office job with the New York Knicks also drew a negative reaction from Bryant. The Lakers flirted with re-hiring the 11-time NBA champion coach early last season before unexpectedly choosing DAntoni, whose two injury-plagued teams have gone 62-74. "You know how I feel about Phil," Bryant said. "I have so much admiration for him, and respect, and have a great relationship with him. Personally, it would be hard for me to understand that happening twice. It would be tough. I dont really get it." Bryant said nothing about his relationship with DAntoni, and the coach said he hadnt spoken to Bryant about the decision to shut him down. But Bryant said he wont be satisfied with another rebuilding year for the Lakers, even though his two-year, $48 million contract extension starting next season will absorb a large chunk of the teams upcoming salary-cap space. Most of Los Angeles roster will be free agents in the summer, and Bryant has said he wants centre Pau Gasol to return. "How can I be satisfied with it?" Bryant asked. "Were like 100 games under .500. I cant be satisfied with that at all. This is not what we stand for. This is not what we play for. A lot of times, its hard to understand that message if youre not a die-hard Laker fan. Its hard to really understand where were coming from, what were used to, what were accustomed to, which is playing for championships. Everything else is a complete failure. Thats just how it is." Exactly 11 months after tearing his Achilles, Bryant remained confident he can return in something close to top form. He plans to approach his remaining rehabilitation as "a seven-month training program," giving him ample time to rebuild strength in his left leg. "I dont want to say Ill be back at the top of my game," Bryant said. "Because everybody is going to think Im crazy, and its the old-player-not-letting-go sort of thing. But thats what its going to be." Bryant missed the first 19 games of this season after tearing his left Achilles tendon last April, returning Dec. 8. The five-time NBA champion was back in uniform for just 10 days before fracturing the top of his shinbone in Memphis. The Lakers initially thought Bryant could return shortly after six weeks of recovery, but the bone has been slow to heal. "With Kobes injury still not healed, the amount of time hed need to rehab and be ready to play, and the amount of time remaining in the season, weve simply run out of time for him to return," Lakers trainer Gary Vitti said. Los Angeles began the day in a three-way tie for last place in the Western Conference with 29 losses in its last 38 games heading into Thursdays trip to Oklahoma City. Steve Nash hasnt been formally shut down for the season, but DAntoni indicated its also unlikely the two-time MVP guard will return this season. The 40-year-old Nash, who has one year left on his contract, has played in only 10 games this season while dealing with back problems and related woes. DAntoni said Jordan Hill and Nick Young are both unlikely to play on the Lakers upcoming two-game road trip, but Gasol is probable despite skipping part of practice Wednesday. David Ross Jersey Cubs . The Raptors second-year forward has been one of the primary beneficiaries of the early-season trade, breaking out and becoming a vital part of his teams success on both ends of the floor. Around the league, teams are starting to take notice and feature Ross more predominately in their pre-game scouting reports but its not just the opposition that hes impressing. Chris Sale Jersey Red Sox . Bryant underwent an operation in December to correct an irregular heartbeat. His season ended with four games left because of a rapid heartbeat, a condition he has known about for several years and had been treated for in the past. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/s ... braves-128. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Albert Almora Jr. Jersey Cubs . With newly minted president of hockey operations Trevor Linden looking on from above one day after being handed the keys to the franchise, it was more of the same on Thursday night. Warren Spahn Jersey Braves . With the suspension, Nigeria is unable to take part in any kind of international fixtures. FIFA had issued a warning to the NFF last week after the federation was served with court proceedings from the government that prevented the NFFs president from running the NFFs day-to-day affairs.TORONTO - Jose Bautista entered Wednesdays play at or near the top of most of baseballs important offensive categories. The 33-year-old is the league leader with 34 walks. His 1.058 OPS and 191 OPS+ are the best in the game. Bautistas hit nine home runs, which ties him for fourth in the majors. Hes reached base safely in each of the Blue Jays 33 games to begin the year. Thats a club record. "I think Ive had a pretty strong first month, as strong as I might have had ever in my career," Bautista told TSN.ca during a conversation in Philadelphia. "But the seasons long and its hard to look at small samples and how thats going to portray into a complete season. I try not to pay attention to those things and just focus on the preparation and the work and my effort and hopefully at the end of the year everythings taken care of itself." As teams around the league rely more heavily on spray charts and advanced offensive data, Bautista, like most sluggers around the league, often hits with three infielders on the left side of second base. The percentages show that if Bautista hits the ball on the ground, most of the time hell pull it. With that in mind, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has encouraged Bautista to occasionally take pitches the other way. Manager John Gibbons believes the approach helps Bautista stay on breaking pitches down and away. He sees those often as opposing pitchers often work around him or, at least, are particularly careful about keeping the ball out of the middle of the strike zone. "The only difference I see with him is hes taking some hits the other way and I think its making him a tougher out," said manager John Gibbons. "You hear some people who complain about, well, hes a home run hitter, youve got to do it this way. Well, you know what? His home run numbers havent suffered one bit." Bautistas coaches and teammates took notice of his approach in the 10th inning of Tuesday nights 6-5 win over the Phillies. Melky Cabrera led off with a single. Bautista worked a 2-2 count and with the infield pulled around to the third base side he pushed a 93 miles per hour fastball through the gaping hole where the second baseman would usually stand. Cabrera advanced to third on the play and one out later scored the game-winning run on Juan Franciscos sacrifice fly. Manager John Gibbons called it "winning baseball." "Its good to see, thats what winninng players and winning teams do, the little stuff," said Jose Reyes.dddddddddddd "In that situation he didnt try to hit a two-run home run and pop it up to the infield or something. He just tried to move Melky over, he saw that huge space there at second base and he hit the ball that way, first and third and we win the game right there." Outfield coach Tim Leiper paid Bautista the ultimate praise last week, equating his pregame preparation and in-game adjustments to that of a coach. Bautista doesnt want the label but he is involved in every pitch. From the dugout hes studying the opposing pitcher, watching for tendencies that may indicate which type of pitch will be thrown. Not a base stealer himself, Bautista tries to help his faster teammates get a read on a pitchers move. Defensively, hell involve himself in outfield positioning based on his extensive knowledge of hitters. "I try to pay attention to things like that and I share all kinds of information with my teammates," said Bautista. "I also encourage them to share stuff that they know and information that they have with me. I like to listen to that kind of stuff and put it into my database, I guess." Gibbons recalls a game in Kansas City early last year when injuries to Jose Reyes and Brett Lawrie forced Bautista from his usual spot in right field and in to play third base. Bautista would frequently hover around the mound in between outs, giving the pitcher a scouting report on the next hitter. "Joses not just out there playing," said Gibbons. "He studies this and hes paying attention to whats going on. Hes played against a lot of these guys over the years so hes got a pretty good idea of what they do." The Blue Jays entered Wednesdays action with a record of 16-17 following a 4-4 road trip to Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Like on their previous road trip, they left some games on the table due to poor, late-game pitching. Bautista isnt panicking, however, because the American League East remains tight six weeks into the season. Torontos just a game and a half back of first-place Baltimore. "The only thing that would matter if we were 15 games back," said Bautista. "That would mean wed dug ourselves a big hole to come out of. From that perspective it doesnt really matter. What matters is how we play from here on out and weve got to focus on that." ' ' '