COMMENTARY: BRYANT IS THE SYMBOL OF THE LAKERS' PLIGHT.

Byline: MIKE WALDNER

Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Symbols, symbols, symbols.

All over the place.

You had no choice. You had to notice them at Lakers' headquarters in El Segundo when Kobe Bryant met with reporters on media day -- Phil, Andrew, Derek, the whole gang was there -- late Monday morning.

Phil Jackson, esteemed coach, is walking with a cane.

Will a cane be needed by the team during the coming season, courtesy of Bryant, the petulant, willful, etc. star? Or will Bryant take the cane, knock everyone in the NBA on the head and lead the Lakers upward and onward to more victories than anyone anticipates?

It's possible. Holding your breath until it happens is not recommended.

Still, it is possible.

Andrew Bynum, who until Oct. 27 is still a teenage 7-footer, has a strained muscle in his right knee. Is it any wonder the young man is limping after Bryant put the weight of the world on his shoulders by sneering about the Lakers hesitating to include him in a trade for Jason Kidd?

The biggest symbol, of course, is Bryant.

He symbolizes so much to so many, ranging from being the perfect example of the world-revolves-around-me athlete to remaining the symbol of hope the Lakers have for their future.

Bryant famously went ballistic on an orchestrated series of radio rants in May. Bottom line: Kobe said he wanted the Lakers in his rearview mirror.

The most important point Monday was Bryant was here.

The Lakers won. Bryant lost. The Lakers will never put it so bluntly. That's why they won. They gave their prodigal son wiggle room, and he wiggled back into the fold.

Because Bryant is present, because a light could go on for him, because players could stay healthy and because there is room for improvement, the Lakers actually could go from dysfunctional to functional and enjoy success this season.

This said, it must be noted Bryant showed up 24 minutes late Monday.

How's that for a negative symbol?

Naturally, there was an excuse. Make that two excuses.

First, it was the traffic from Orange County. Then it was a physical he was required to take that held him up.

The traffic excuse ignores the fact that everyone who travels our treacherous freeways knows you leave early and probably arrive early to make sure you're not late.

The doctor's appointment excuse ignores the fact that his teammates were as curious about where he might be as everyone else when he did not show up on time.

When Bryant did arrive, he was smiling, cooperative, happy, hugging (old/new teammate Derek Fisher), saying all the right things.

One question. As always. Was he listening to himself?

"I'm ready to go," he said.

That never is a question. Is he ready to go as part of the team rather than being ready to go and expecting the team to mold itself around him?

The Lakers can be good by molding themselves around Bryant. He's that good. They can be better if he ever learns to fit in as part of the team.

"I think the important thing for everybody to understand is I want to bring a title back to Los Angeles," he said.

As good as the statement sounds, it smacks of his PR people preparing him to appeal directly to the people, the fans of the Lakers, who desperately want to believe he's in this for the duration and that he wants no more than they want for the team.

He has yet to say he's sorry for verbally slapping Bynum and others around.

About his mouth running wild in May?

"I was frustrated," he said. "So I blew up."

At some point he's the one who needs to understand. He needs to understand that at 29 he's past the age when he can blame temper tantrums on frustration.

This is a man who prides himself on how cool and controlled he is under fire. Yet he was frustrated so he blew up.

Until he changes it must be said he feels entitled above and beyond everyone else.

Remember when it was said Bryant above all wanted to be Michael Jordan? That was wrong.

He sees himself as Caesar.

"Hopefully, we're on the same page," he said in response to a question about management.

His history is he'll be on the same page as long as it's his page.

"I know they tried," he said of a possible trade. "It wasn't lack of effort. That means a lot to me."

Isn't this gracious of him?

One sobering piece of news. Asked about clearing the air with Bynum, Bryant said, "Andrew and I didn't talk. We texted each other. I was in Rome. I texted him, told him I was sorry about the way things came out. He said he understood."

Bynum had a blank look when asked about the messages.

"Did Kobe text you?" he was asked.

"No," he said.

You understand what this symbolizes.

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Even after his radio rants in the offseason, Kobe Bryant symbolizes hope for the Lakers.

Lisa Blumenfeld/GettyImages