RealGM

So is anyone else worried about this? I haven't seen a thread yet and it's been bouncing around the wiretap and ESPN for a few days. If he goes over there, makes them hella money and dominates an easier competition, I fear he may stay or cut his career as a Laker short to go back, since he has stated previously he'd like to play over there. I'm also more worried about injuries.

Worried about injuries : yes (even though he could also get injured playing in the US or just practicing).

Worried he'll stay there before ending his career with the Lakers : not at all.

I really wasn't believing those rumors before, but it looks like they may be real. I don't know what to think. If he can get a clause stating he can come back as soon as the season starts, I feel like he has every right to go there, experience another country, another culture of the game, make money,...
And maybe playing with him will give Deron Williams ideas... =)

at the end of the day kobes going to do whatever the hell he wants... imo at kobes age he needs to stay in shape, so might as well promote overseas basketball and some how stick it to stern and the owners

Kobe playing for another franchise, 100% against this.

I am not worried until Kobe actually plays a game for some other team. That will mean that 1) the NBA is still locked out and 2) he might get hurt for when the NBA is back up and running. Beyond that, its all speculation and smoke and mirrors. The guy likes basketball. The Lakers don't even exist until the lockout is done so he is going to want to play somewhere. But again...lace em up for another team and I'll have more of an opinion.

Kobe is due around 86 million the next 3 years. That comes out to about 25-30-30 million for the next 3 years. Think he wants to do anything to get this contract void. Lakers would love to get that off there books. That will not happen. I bet Kobe makes that kind of money on interest from his regular contract.

Lets hope the star players are doing this to get the lockout back to the table and back to getting it over.

As long as Kobe Bryant can play, the Lakers aren't voiding that contract. Just like the Rockets would offer Yao another contract if he didn't want to retire. Too much of a loss to the pocket if you kill those marketing masterpieces.

G=K wrote:So is anyone else worried about this? I haven't seen a thread yet and it's been bouncing around the wiretap and ESPN for a few days. If he goes over there, makes them hella money and dominates an easier competition, I fear he may stay or cut his career as a Laker short to go back, since he has stated previously he'd like to play over there. I'm also more worried about injuries.

It's Kobe. Beating up peons wouldn't be his hobby. A season lock out I think will not make him switch jerseys but I do believe he'll test the waters over there first. After the lock out he'll definately be back.

He should try to fully recover from his surgery before agreeing to play overseas. At this point, his health should be the most important thing to him.

We are talking about Kobe Bryant, the most competitive player in the game! He busts his a.. to be the best and he will only play in the best league. So even if he plays in Turkey he will have a clause to come back as soon as the NBA kicks off again. And if you look on the main page FIBA have now announced rules that any player signing overseas has to return when the NBA kicks off again.
And I think its a great idea because it will keep him match fit, win many fans in turkey for the nba, kobe and the lakers and boost the game in turkey.

Kobe's a big boy... He knows the risks.
If he decides to play there and suffers a career ending injury, he'll look like the biggest goof on the planet, and he'll (we'll) have nobody to blame but Kobe.

Talk about you're all time greedy schmuck move... All these stars with double-digit million dollar a year salaries getting more millions to play over seas... It actually makes me wish there was a such thing as Scabs for professional athletes.

I think it'll end up biting most of them in the ass if they actually do it... Frankly I kind of hope it does...

Although I'd hate for it to happen to a Laker, an injury overseas resulting in a voided multi-million dollar salary would put a slight smile on my face.

Why would you love for a guy to get hurt and lose their deal, when it was the owners who locked them out of gyms and refuse to pay them money that they are guaranteed and contractually owed?

Kobe going overseas isn't being disloyal to the Lakers. The Lakers not paying him what he is owed and has earned every penny of plus more x Infiniti is being disloyal. Locking him out of the very facilities that he was entitled to once he signed a contract and teams doctors and trainers is being disloyal.

Why would any person in their right mind expect a star player to just sit on their ass when they can be out there earning a living when no checks are coming in, instead of dipping into their savings needlessly? Why would any play save their body for a team who locks him out from their trainers, doctors, and equipment? Why would a player who can generate buckets of income for a franchise and in turn for himself choose to just let his brand remain on hold while sitting at home as opposed to branching it out or risk coming back into a shortened season out of shape and an embarrassment of what he once was ala Shawn Kemp?

The players have every right to earn in the lockout. They aren't the ones who **** the bed financially and can't honor the deals that they chose to give out and agree to. They aren't the ones who went on a strike after a year where revenues, viewership, and attendance were up. They aren't the ones who ultimately chose to ignore the contracts, the owners are, and instead of being their bitch the players chose to go get another job, expand their fan bases, see a new culture, provide for themselves and their other family or business ventures.

laduane1 wrote:Kobe is due around 86 million the next 3 years. That comes out to about 25-30million for the next 3 years. Think he wants to do anything to get this contract void.

If there's a lockout he won't see a penny from that contract.It's not like the players are still getting paid their contracts to sit on their ass and do nothing because they aren't.
Kobe's asking 1 mil per month salary.In Europe that is a lot more than 1 mil in the us.No taxes,car and home guaranteed,etc.1 mil in Europe is the equivalent of 1.8-2 mil in the US.So,if he plays 4-5 months before the lockout ends he could be getting 9-10 mil(US equivalent).If the lockout lasts even longer(a whole season) he could crack 20 mil easily(there are performance incentives,outside the contract money,if let's say he wins the league cup or EuroCup/Euroleague).All that playing a lot less games,40 tops a year

So why not?I'm down,I'll get to see him live before I die

Wiretap says China will give him 8 figures but no opt out. This would be an interesting gamble. If there's no season he goes to make his $20 million or whatever for one year, then back to the Lakers. But if there is a season, he screws the team over royally for one year.

If he does it for one year and there is no NBA season, more power to him, glad he got it out of his system.

For that type of money he might sign regardless of the NBA getting back together or not.

He's not going to play out his career overseas where the competition isn't the same, he's a throw back superstar, not a new age let me play with the other best players type of guy.

G=K wrote:He's not going to play out his career overseas where the competition isn't the same, he's a throw back superstar, not a new age let me play with the other best players type of guy.

BWA HA HA HA HA! Right, he never made a trade demand back when he was on a bad team without talented players...

Effigy wrote:

G=K wrote:He's not going to play out his career overseas where the competition isn't the same, he's a throw back superstar, not a new age let me play with the other best players type of guy.

BWA HA HA HA HA! Right, he never made a trade demand back when he was on a bad team without talented players...

Oh, hai, nice trolling there. There is a difference between wanting to play with a good team and signing with two other superstars.

Effigy wrote:

G=K wrote:He's not going to play out his career overseas where the competition isn't the same, he's a throw back superstar, not a new age let me play with the other best players type of guy.

BWA HA HA HA HA! Right, he never made a trade demand back when he was on a bad team without talented players...

when you play with kwame, walton and smush as your starters I think anyone would want to get out of that situation... troll harder next time