Kobe Bryant reportedly reaches verbal agreement with Virtus Bologna
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Everyone should roll their collective eyes on David Stern's threat that stalled negotiations this weekend over a new collective bargaining agreement could immediately cancel the 2011-2012 season.
Here's the true sign that at least part of the NBA season appears in jeopardy. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reportedly reached a verbal agreement to play with the Italian professional basketball team Virtus Bologna. Bryant will earn $3 million, reports the Associated Press, for the first 40 days of the Italian League season beginning Oct. 9. Meanwhile, the NBA has delayed the start of training camp and canceled 43 exhibition games through Oct. 15.
"Deal is done at 95%," Virtus Bologna owner Claudio Sabatini told Sportando.
Considering Bryant sparked unsuccessful courtships from teams in Turkey and China, skepticism remains understandable. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarwoski reported via Twitter that "no agreement is imminent." Though the deal hasn't been finalized, the AP reports Bryant plans to get a work visa and return to Italy sometime next week to sign his contract. Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick reports via Twitter that Bryant won't return from Italy in time to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant at Friday's meeting in New York between the NBA owners and players' union.
Even ardent Bryant supporters expressed concern about him playing overseas. He enters his 16th NBA season having played in 1,311 games and compiled 48,310 minutes. He's continually monitoring various injuries, including a surgically repaired right knee, sprained left ankle and arthritic right index finger. Bryant's scoring average last season (25.3 points) marked his lowest output since the 2003-04 season (24 ppg), while his 33.9 minutes a game reflected his lowest average since his second season in the NBA.
Still, it appears Bryant's revelation in Italy this week that it's "very possible" he'd play there served more than just marketing hype surrounding his Nike promotional appearances.
"Italy is my home," said Bryant, who has three years and $83.5 million left on his Lakers contract. "It's where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to [move] without the ball … all things that when I came back to America, the players my age didn't know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking."
Here's the true sign that at least part of the NBA season appears in jeopardy. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reportedly reached a verbal agreement to play with the Italian professional basketball team Virtus Bologna. Bryant will earn $3 million, reports the Associated Press, for the first 40 days of the Italian League season beginning Oct. 9. Meanwhile, the NBA has delayed the start of training camp and canceled 43 exhibition games through Oct. 15.
"Deal is done at 95%," Virtus Bologna owner Claudio Sabatini told Sportando.
Considering Bryant sparked unsuccessful courtships from teams in Turkey and China, skepticism remains understandable. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarwoski reported via Twitter that "no agreement is imminent." Though the deal hasn't been finalized, the AP reports Bryant plans to get a work visa and return to Italy sometime next week to sign his contract. Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick reports via Twitter that Bryant won't return from Italy in time to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant at Friday's meeting in New York between the NBA owners and players' union.
Even ardent Bryant supporters expressed concern about him playing overseas. He enters his 16th NBA season having played in 1,311 games and compiled 48,310 minutes. He's continually monitoring various injuries, including a surgically repaired right knee, sprained left ankle and arthritic right index finger. Bryant's scoring average last season (25.3 points) marked his lowest output since the 2003-04 season (24 ppg), while his 33.9 minutes a game reflected his lowest average since his second season in the NBA.
Still, it appears Bryant's revelation in Italy this week that it's "very possible" he'd play there served more than just marketing hype surrounding his Nike promotional appearances.
"Italy is my home," said Bryant, who has three years and $83.5 million left on his Lakers contract. "It's where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to [move] without the ball … all things that when I came back to America, the players my age didn't know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking."
Comments
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he shouldnt play at all he should just rest and rehab, but at the same time this could scare stern/the owners into making the season happen
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It wouldnt scare the league because he has clause to return to the NBA immediately.. and its not like its the top 15 players just deciding to play. As for rest I think he feels he is fine he has had a busy offseason touring/ rehabing. Playin ball can only get him into prime playing shape faster.. But this is an important day and weekend for the NBA as a whole.
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playmaker88 wrote: »It wouldnt scare the league because he has clause to return to the NBA immediately.. and its not like its the top 15 players just deciding to play. As for rest I think he feels he is fine he has had a busy offseason touring/ rehabing. Playin ball can only get him into prime playing shape faster.. But this is an important day and weekend for the NBA as a whole.
C/S but don't forget stern can cancel the whole season but somehow still bring it back somewhere during the winter case and point would be the 99 season which started in February! -
C/S but don't forget stern can cancel the whole season but somehow still bring it back somewhere during the winter case and point would be the 99 season which started in February!
Stern aint budging... -
something doesn't sound right about this. like he's ? with them and they dont know it.
why announce the deal when its "95% done"? -
something doesn't sound right about this. like he's ? with them and they dont know it.
why announce the deal when its "95% done"?
Idk because there are different offers.. from 10 games.. game by game.. so on and so forth that could be it. -
damn no NBA season?????? Kobe looses a year of playing ball in the US??????? the ? is 33 already, his playing time is precious!!!! i hate that Kobe isn't in his prime anymore and is in the decline
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I can see it now....
Kobe is scoring 65 points on some player named Christifano Childsini. The abused player gets angry at Kobe and they square up. Chidsini lands a two piece and Kobe loses another scrap.
The resulting incident causes an embarressed David Stern to cave in to labor demands the minute he hears of it. Resulting in a return to NBA basketball the next day.
Kobe saves the NBA, and everybody lives happily ever after. -
What if the NBA is using this "lockout" as a way to gauge how much money can be made from starting an NBA franchise overseas?
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damn no NBA season?????? Kobe looses a year of playing ball in the US??????? the ? is 33 already, his playing time is precious!!!! i hate that Kobe isn't in his prime anymore and is in the decline
Kobe is the latter stage of his peak, he will start declining around 36.. wasnt Jordan still winning championships at age 37? Albeit Kobe is playing more years of basketball at a younger age than Jordan already.. -
What if the NBA is using this "lockout" as a way to gauge how much money can be made from starting an NBA franchise overseas?
I hope that never happens. They need to eliminate teams not add more. Besides the U.S. already has alot of the Euros top talent playing here already.
It would be a nightmare if a foreign nba franchise made the finals. How would we get to watch it on t.v. , with tape delay?
