Kobe Bryant: Jeremy Lin is Really Good Player But Needs More Resilience

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant believed Jeremy Lin is a big piece to his team's success. However, the Black Mamba thinks the Asian-American star needs to be more relentless in his game and stop being scared of criticisms that come with disappointment, the All-Star shooting guard said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday.

The 36-year old Bryant voiced out his frustrations after seeing the Lakers fell to 0-5 for the first time in franchise's history despite dropping 39 points in a 112-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Staples Center.

Bryant, who also went 14-for-27 from the field that night, suggested that his teammate should approach every game with the kind of relentlessness he has on the court in order for them to grind out victories in tightly-contested ball games.

As for Lin, the former NBA MVP acknowledged that the former Harvard standout has the tools to become a big-time player in the league, though his backcourt partner needs to continue being aggressive in taking shots consistently.

"Lin was being more aggressive and taking shots. I think the biggest thing for him to learn is to play relentlessly. The most important thing [for my teammates] is that they understand the relentlessness they have to play with," Bryant said of Lin via LA Times.

"I'll go out there and I'll leave on the floor everything, and compete and not be fearful of criticism or fearful of not playing well or missing shots. That's the same way I want the guys to play, Jeremy in particular, because he's a really good player. He's just getting used to playing with that kind of effort and attitude."

The 26-year old Lin is averaging 10.8 points and 5.0 assists in 29 minutes of play for the Lakers. On Tuesday, Lin recorded a season-high 18 points on 4-for-8 field goal shooting and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, some of which are clutch baskets late in the game.

Lin, Kobe and the Lakers will have a long rest this week and are not scheduled to play until Sunday when they play host to the surging Eastern Conference power Charlotte Hornets.