Italy in Kobe’s Future?

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant said that he’d consider playing in Italy if he were offered a contract of $50 million per season.  Since American-born forward Josh Childress opted to play overseas for more money, there has been speculation that a European club would offer an NBA superstar a gargantuan contract in the next few years.  Two players that have been mentioned as players who would command such an astronomical figure are Bryant and Cavaliers forward LeBron James.  “I’d go. I’d probably go,” said Bryant, during a USA Basketball press conference. “Like Milan or something like that, where I grew up or something like that.”

Bryant grew up in Italy and speaks Italian fluently.  Some of the transitional concerns that would worry other players would not be as much of a concern for Bryant.  Fans have to remember that basketball is an NBA player’s job, and it’s a business.  “Do you know any reasonable person that would turn down 50 (million dollars)?” Bryant rhetorically asked during the same press conference.  This blogger still has a hard time believing that a true superstar would walk away from the best league in the world, even for that kind of money.  It could alter the perception of their competitiveness.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 8, 2008 - Post a comment