Vanessa Bryant has responded to the criticism she received for saying that she "would not want to be married to somebody that can't win championships."

Bryant, who is married to NBA player Kobe Bryant, released a statement on Aug. 17 exclusively to TMZ.

"I'm sad to hear that comments in my New York  Magazine interview are being misconstrued and taken out of context. I have and will continue to support my husband's dreams," she said. "I have been with Kobe for 13 years. I accepted his marriage proposal PRIOR to him winning any of his 5 championships with his teammates. For anyone to think otherwise is wrong. It is not about being married to a 'winner' it is about our sacrifice as a family."

This comes in light of Vanessa's interview published in the latest issue of New York magazine, where she revealed her expectations for her five-time NBA champion husband.

"If you're sacrificing time away from my family and myself for the benefit of winning championships, then winning a championship should happen every single year," Vanessa said.

She also revealed how she avoids the spotlight when attending her Kobe's NBA games.

"If you notice, I am the only one allowed in that [arena] tunnel. I don't like standing outside and giving him a kiss in front of all the cameras. So I stand in there to get away from them," she said.  

Kobe met Vanessa in 1999 when she was just 17 years old; at the time she was a senior in high school. The couple married in 2001 without a prenuptial agreement and now have two children together. In December 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce but it appears that the couple is working on their marriage. In the New York magzine article, when asked about the reconciliation, she answered, "Um. Yes. We're working on things." 

The high-profile pair was last publically seen together at the 2012 London Olympic Games along with their daughters Gianna and Natalia.

Tags: Vanessa Bryant Kobe Bryant