The athlete concluded the text with an apology that baffled McCray

Al McCray, an assistant coach at Fort Hays State, said when he woke up at his Kansas home Monday he found a message on his cellphone from the player, thanking him for everything he had done for Murdock and his family.

The athlete concluded the text with an apology that baffled McCray, who said he had known the 25-year-old since Murdock was in middle school.

"At the end, he goes: 'I apologize.' And I don't know what he's talking about. I woke up, and I'm thinking he's apologizing because he texted me so early. ... I wish he had called instead."

The 38-year-old Canadian says he spoke to Bryant

"Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic," he added. "I think I'm a good fit for the team, and we have a great team, we're a contender, that's all incredible, too. But as far as getting over the hump and being able to be a Laker after being a Sun and trying to beat the Lakers in the playoffs all those years, the reality is it was too great of an opportunity to pass up as far as my children were concerned. And fortunately for me, it's a great basketball situation."

The 38-year-old Canadian says he spoke to Bryant by phone Monday to see whether he wanted to work together. Bryant took a break from his basketball camp in Santa Barbara to confirm he thinks Nash would be a perfect fit in the Lakers' backcourt, providing a dimension they never possessed even in Derek Fisher's best years — a playmaking talent Los Angeles hasn't seen since Magic Johnson was running the show.