By JOSH NEWMAN

Special to ZAGSBLOG

NEW YORK -- Kobe Bryant considers Carmelo Anthony a good friend, and when good friends have as much time together as the two Olympians did this past summer, any number of topics are bound to pop up.

Somewhere between United States Olympic Team training camp in Las Vegas and trips to Washington, D.C., Manchester, Barcelona and finally London over the course of five weeks on their way to Olympic gold, the topic between the two turned to Anthony's 2011-12 season, which was more frustrating and exasperating than anything.