Kobe Bryant says Lakers still belong to him

The Lakers have added to their sled in the offseason but let there be no mystery as to who remains the big dog in Los Angeles.

Dwight Howard will man the middle. Two-time MVP Steve Nash will set the tempo. But everyone will dance to Kobe Bryant's tune.

"I got a question earlier about whose team this is," Bryant said at Lakers media day. "I don't want to get into the 'well, we share...'no it's my team. But I want to make sure that Dwight, when I retire, this is going to be his. I want to teach him everything I possibly know so that when I step away this organization can ride on as if I never left."

Nash says "I think this is Kobe's team. For the media's perspective, this is Kobe's team." But he adds that "anyone who's ever played on a basketball team, it's also our team. The team needs to share in that responsibility. Kobe can't do everything...we got to be there for him every day."

The 34-year-old Bryant averaged more than 38 minutes a game last season. He also averaged 23 shots, the most of any season except for one in his career.