Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant spoke to reporters on Friday for the first time since the team traded his longtime backcourt running mate, Derek Fisher, following the Lakers' 97-92 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

His words were measured. While some expected Bryant to unleash a tirade after management parted ways with Fisher, considering the pair won five championships together and came into the league together as rookies in 1996, Bryant's message to the media was more somber than sharp.

"Very difficult," Bryant said. "I'm not used to it because I've been with him my entire career, aside from that little stint that he had away from us. So, it's very different for me. It's pretty weird."

Added Bryant in his ESPN 710 Radio postgame interview, "I think I was shocked just like everybody else ... We've always been close and we'll continue to be close."


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When asked if he was angry about the trade that sent Fisher, along with a first-round pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for forward Jordan Hill, Bryant said, simply, "No."

"I've been here for awhile and I've had some of my closest friends go, starting with Caron [Butler], Ronny Turiaf, Lamar Odom and Derek," Bryant said. "So I've been through it so many times before."

However, Bryant did not hide his irritation when asked when he was informed the Fisher trade had occurred.

"Don't start no [expletive]," Bryant said. "I'm not even going to answer it. Everybody would be too shocked."

Bryant said he had been in contact with Fisher on several occasions since the trade occurred Thursday.

"I don't get that sentimental about it," Bryant said. "I texted him [Thursday] and we kind of had a laugh about it because he knows how I am. We just talked about the good times and what a fun time it was to go to battle together and things like that, but that's about as sentimental as I'm going to get."

When asked to describe Fisher's mood following the trade, Bryant said, "You guys got to ask Derek. He's much more politically correct than I am ... Talk to Derek about it. I'm sure he'll answer it the way he best sees fit."

Bryant said the hardest thing to replace about Fisher will be his championship experience.

"That doesn't happen by accident," said Bryant. "There's a reason why players that have multiple championships have multiple championships. There's a certain characteristic and an understanding and knowledge and that's not something that's easily taught. You kind of have to go through it and it kind of has to be part of your DNA from the beginning. So, that's something that's obviously tough to replace but we believe that [Ramon] Sessions has that DNA."