ESPN: It wasn’t long ago that Kobe Bryant reportedly wanted out of Los Angeles. He’s not going anywhere now.
Fresh off winning the championship, the Lakers guard decided not to exercise an early termination option in his contract and will return for the 2009-10 season, a league source told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.
Bryant is scheduled to make $23 million next season by not opting out. He also has a player option to opt out of his contract in the 2010-11 season. The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source.
After two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Bryant requested a trade in the spring of 2007, saying that he didn’t like the direction the team’s rebuilding was going.
The Lakers then went out and traded for big man Pau Gasol. Los Angeles increased its win total from 42 games to 57 and went to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers bounced back with a 65-win season in 2008-09, made it back to the Finals and beat the Orlando Magic for the title. Bryant distinguished himself by winning his first championship without Shaquille O’Neal. The duo won three from 2000 to 2002.
As expected, Kobe won’t opt out; the official report is he hasn’t notified the Lakers that he will.
L.A. Times: Kobe Bryant must officially notify the Lakers via fax by the end of Tuesday should he decide to terminate his contract.
The Lakers declined to comment. Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return a phone call.
Detroit, Memphis and Oklahoma City are the only teams far enough under the salary cap to even contemplate signing Bryant to a five-year deal this summer, but they wouldn’t be close enough to match Bryant’s $23-million salary next season without shedding additional salaries.
The Wall Street Journal: One of the great curiosities in modern sports is the Chinese people’s lavish affection for Kobe Bryant. During last year’s Beijing Olympics, he was greeted with a rapturous reception and mobbed everywhere he went. He appears in commercials and on billboards, has a popular Web site and had a reality show on Chinese television. He sells more NBA jerseys there than Yao Ming.
On Tuesday in Los Angeles, the love affair will reach a new level. Not only is Mr. Bryant accepting an award from the Asia Society for his work as a “cultural ambassador,” the ceremony will be attended by Liu Peng, China’s Secretary of Sport and a member of China’s Communist Party Central Committee.
China’s embrace is largely an appreciation of Mr. Bryant’s basketball talent—he won his fourth NBA title earlier this month with the Los Angeles Lakers. “He reminds everyone of Michael Jordan,” says Shen Zhiyu, a senior basketball writer for Titan Sports, China’s largest sports daily.
But it is also a reflection of a deliberate campaign by Mr. Bryant to make inroads in the world’s most-populous country. In addition to his frequent visits to China (a planned trip in late July will be his fourth in as many years) and his considerable work on behalf of sponsor Nike, he’s assuming another identity: philanthropist.
Continue reading ‘Kobe’s Next Conquest: China’
Kobe brings up a very interesting perspective on what Michael Jackson meant to him…
Press Enterprise: “He was extremely inspirational for me on a personal level because he helped me to understand it was OK to be different,” Bryant said. “When I say different, I mean different in the sense of being obsessed with your craft, paying attention to the details, and working your tail off day in and day out and being consumed with what you do. He made me feel it was OK to be that way and helped mentor me in that department.”
KB24.com: That’s right – TwoFour has been nominated for four ESPYs in the following categories…
* Best Male Athlete
* Best NBA Player
* Best Championship Performance
* Best Team
The 17th annual ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) is set to air on Sunday, July 19th 9pm ET on ESPN and will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson.
To vote for Kobe, click on the following link and register to ESPN.com…
http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/espys2009/#/home/
RealGM: There’s been a lot of conflicting and confusing information floating around about Kobe Bryant’s ability to become a free agent this summer. In an attempt to clear it all up, I’ll wade through the situation in question and answer format.
First thing’s first: Kobe can become a free agent this summer?
Yes. In the summer of 2004 the Lakers signed Bryant to a seven year contract (through 2010-11) with the option to terminate the contract early in either 2009 or 2010.
If Kobe terminates his contract early, when does he have to do so?
The deadline is June 30. Starting July 1 he’s locked in for the 2009-10 season.
If Kobe opts out, he’ll be a free agent and can sign with any team? Can the Lakers match?
If Bryant opts out he will be an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team, including re-signing with the Lakers. Since he would be an unrestricted free agent, the Lakers can’t retain him by matching a contract he signs with another team. If he signs elsewhere, then the Lakers lose him.
Continue reading ‘The Official Kobe Bryant Free Agency Primer’
Looks like Kobe isn’t going to fix his finger. Funny how Nike’s new puppet shirt are starting to resemble Kobe’s real fingers as opposed to the puppet fingers.
All I can is Kobe is a Warrior. Here is what Kobe had to say about it from his exit interview…
On his finger: “I won a championship, I’m not fixing a damn thing.”
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