Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 11:00 am  |  76 responses

Kobe, Too, Is Ready for Europe to Come Calling

by Marcel Mutoni

Specifically, the place where he grew up.

Kobe Bryant wasn’t just going to let LeBron hog all of the attention about possibly leaving the NBA if some Euro-drunk team owner from across the pond made a serious bid to acquire his services.

Bryant, like James, spoke freely about being totally open to the idea of playing overseas prior to the start of the Beijing Games. And as far as Kobe is concerned, hooping in Italy wouldn’t be a bad way to make a living.

From the Boston Globe:

“I’d go. I’d probably go,” said Bryant, during a USA Basketball press conference on Friday morning. “Like Milan or something like that, where I grew up or something like that… Peace out.”

Bryant continued: “Do you know any reasonable person that would turn down 50 (million dollars)?”

OK, so now the NBA’s two biggest stars are almost literally daring European teams to come after them. The reality of things, of course, is that no offers for a star of LeBron or Kobe’s magnitude are on the table. Not yet, at least. But only a fool would believe that one won’t eventually be made.

You worried yet, NBA? No, of course not …

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

← Older Comments
  • speedy

    Kobe and LeBron are really showing that money is everything…thats on their mind.

  • mdshuai

    Kobe says that he’d go now, when the thought of all that money is on the table; and who can blame him? But I mean, wouldn’t that be sort of like leaving the gym where all of the real ballers lay to go run with the scrubs just because one of the offers to buy you a gatorade – or even 50 million gatorades?
    The thing I’ve respected about Kobe his whole career, whether or not I liked the guy I at least respected it, was that he was always about being the BEST on the biggest stage; and I don’t see him being able to prove that in Europe. Well, I guess unless Bron Bron heads over there; then they can have a competition to see who averages 100 points first.

  • http://www.talkaboutsport.blogspot.com TalkAboutSport

    Lol. If you read the YahooSports article that says the NBA is not worried about players leaving to Europe – think again. I agree with Speedy – money is defining these players. If they leave America – they will lose a majority of the TOUGH competition. Competition in the NBA is fiercer than the Euroleague. Even though the dollar is weakening they should stay in America because they will lose their fanbase otherwise.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Russ Bengtson

    How many true superstars are in the NBA right now? Ten? Less? If a LeBron or a Kobe (or both) went to Europe, you don’t think other lesser players (lesser as in mere All-Stars) would follow? If the NBA waits for a top-three guy to leave before they consider there to be a problem, it’ll be too late. Just because the NBA has always been the premier basketball league doesn’t mean it will be forever.

  • B. Long

    @Russ: True, but unless our entire economy collapses(which is a bigger possibility than most realize) I just don’t see it happening for at least the next 3 years.

  • Z

    Kobe and LBJ are merely saying that it would be a wise move to listen to somebody that wants to thrown 50 mil at you. I can hear that.

  • http://www.rich-imaging.com Dutch Rich

    I would love to hear a player say ” if McCain wins I’m bolting” just to have the media run with it. That might give it some CNN coverage.
    Would have to be a Melo to pull that off. Bron can’t go political like that.

  • http://firemitchkupchak.com Reggie Evans

    They should make sure they mean 50 million today, not in ten years when someone offers 50 million, and says “but you said if we offered 50 million!” forgetting that 50 million in the future will be like 10 million today.

  • http://www.rich-imaging.com Dutch Rich

    Word to all NBA players.
    European market projected to drop nov 2008.
    Get your contracts NOW!!!!!!!!

  • http://myspace.com/bodiebarnett jbn74sb

    Eboy – There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that Kobe ever plays for New Jersey.

  • ciolkstar

    Eboy how are you the one true Kobe detractor that frequents this site????
    I’ve been repping Bron as the best in the world and critquing Bryant’s newfound “leadership” (insisting on not shooting even when you are open, to the point where it hurts your team is ATLEAST as selfish as his 35 shots a game act)
    All that said I agree with Kobe: What reasonable person turns down 50 mill?

  • http://firemitchkupchak.com Reggie Evans

    Seems like there’s a new sport among Kobe Haters besides Kobe hating and arguing about how much better Lebron/MJ is than Kobe. Now they’re arguing about who hates Kobe the most, and who hated him first.

  • http://shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Eboy

    No, ciolkstar, I’ve disliked him the longest.

  • milan

    go to milan and pair up ronaldinho to bethe most powerful athletes

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com DP aka D.Polo

    I love haters. they make the job so much easier.

  • RedRum

    oh oh… let me remind you that in football (soccer for the yanks) it is common for teams to pay up to 120-140 million dollars to buy a player. Man U had a 150 million offer from Real Madrid for Ronaldo, and they still did not sell him!! Basketball does not have as big as budgets as football, but I cannot see why billionaires in europe would not get interested. They did it with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, Armani owned a team in Italy, Real and Barca in spain are loaded, CCSKA in Russia is owned by the military (which means unlimited money….) Can’t wait to see Paul Pierce in the black and yellow jersey of Aris Salonica!

  • Clay

    who cares… Nique did this back in ’90s
    why is everyone so shocked?

    Now, if he signed with the Sydney Kings that would be news breaking!

  • Chukaz

    Nobody is going to give Kobe or LeBron 50 million a year. The reality of things is that a team overseas would actually have to pay 50 Euros for Kobe or LeBron. A 50 Million dollar contract in Europe is actually a 78 million dollar contract because there are taxes, but they are covered by the team. A team would have to spend 78 million dollars for a single season to get Kobe or LeBron. An Euro is worth about a buck 50, so the owner would have to spend something like 50 euros per season. European teams are not that rich. Josh Childress’ team will be spending 32 million dollars over the next 3 years. 32 million is way less than 78. 32 million over 3 years is way way less than 78 for a single season. Let’s not forget that Josh’s deal is the bigest in european history. Josh is gonna be making 6 1/3 million a year, nobody is paying Kobe or LeBron 50 million a year. MJ, when he was the best player in the history of basketball and was in his prime, wasn’t worth 50 million.

  • Miguel Ferreira

    im not compeletely against the idea, (perhaps due to the fact that i live in portugal, europe) although, Kobe and LeBron are the face of America’s greatest sport: basketball. As well as it’s amazing league the NBA…

  • paz t

    Please go. I just hope the doorways into the basketball courts can accomodate the size of your inflated big ass head.

  • T. Crook

    Get used to NBA ballers saying they are open to playing in Europe. They will use it as a bargaining chip and it will work. How about them Celtics!

  • GOSPURSGO

    50 million dollars? or 50 million Euros . . . do the math . . .

  • GOSPURSGO

    oh and Chukaz . . the owners’ pockets are much deeper than that of their European counterparts . . you think someone WOULDN’T drop a 50 million contract on a sure thing?

  • GOSPURSGO

    and bear in mind that unlike the NBA there is NO salary cap in the EL so what’s to stop a team from putting a seemingly obnoxious deal on the table? think about that before you speak on the EL being “not that rich” the proper term is wealthy and according to the immortal chris rock there IS difference between the two . . .

  • GOSPURSGO

    the fact remains that euroleague owners have deep pockets, can offer free housing/expenses, they take care of players income taxes, and the euro/USdollar exchange rate is a huge benefit to the Euroteams it’s becoming more and more evident that the EL is making an attempt to compete with the NBA on a bigger stage ya check?

    get your facts straight my G . . .

  • chase

    :(

← Older Comments
Advertisement