Lakers weather the storm for now

What nightmare season?

The Times has learned that Kobe Bryant is now happy and committed to the Lakers forever or until they lose five in a row, whichever comes first.

Of course, to the Lakers, even temporary happiness is far preferable to unhappiness, even if Kobe changes characters faster than Frank Caliendo.

With the Lakers surging as they hit Chicago, where Bryant got a firsthand look at the pit he almost cast himself into, an ebullient Kobe called his teammates "brothers" and his team "the closest I've ever been on."

It's actually true: He has been much closer to teammates since Shaquille O'Neal left but never more than in training camp when he was seen all over Honolulu with them.

It's also true that after Jerry Buss said he would entertain a trade, Kobe holed up for a week while his brothers wondered if they had seen the last of him.

Rejoining them before the opener, Bryant noted what a "close-knit group" they were -- while his agent was calling Chicago General Manager John Paxson with more trade proposals.

Giddy or not, Kobe is still ducking all questions about taking back his trade demand ("I don't get into that.") In other words, he'll always love his Lakers teammates -- no matter how many miles may separate them -- or what else is new?

In keeping with the Lakers' season, which is like a roller-coaster ride blindfolded, Bryant's visit to Chicago couldn't have been more triumphant if he had gotten himself traded there.

Confirming the possibility was real, Bryant said joining the Bulls had been "No. 1 with a bullet."

Happily for Kobe, the gun didn't go off so he could shoot himself in the career -- again.

Happily for the Lakers, some things have changed since, like their entire outlook.

Starting the season, all they could hope for was chilling out Bryant and holding him in place long enough to try to show him they had a future.

As GM Mitch Kupchak put it, "It'll be about winning and losing, which is the way it should be."

It also looked like a 100-1 shot with their tender age and all the giants in the West.

More things have gone right since then than Mychal Thompson could have imagined.

Some, such as Andrew Bynum's development, you could see coming a year ago, even if so many, starting with Bryant, didn't.