But those memories of his Lakers past just aren’t the same anymore because of his Lakers present, one where the dynamic between the two old friends, so to speak, has devolved so publicly and painfully in recent years. His frustration, unmistakable even in this loud and crowded room, surfaces in full force approximately 10 minutes into this conversation that lasted nearly 40 minutes. “They’re in complete denial,” he said of the Lakers. “It’s insulting to me that I’m not …” He stops briefly. “I’m not seeking any apologies from no one — no one — ever,” he said. “I just said to myself, ‘How petty can this be?’”