Kobe Says He'd Take Italy's $50 Million

Why not?! He grew up there  and has friends there. And unless we 
 get it together here real soon, the US is going to hell in a hand basket! Must be real nice to have the luxury of such a dilemma. I wonder how you say sexual harrassment in Italian?

When Kobes contract runs out in 2011 he will be 33. Not a lot of teams are going to give a 33 year old, with a reputation for messing up team chemistry a max contract. Except for maybe Italy, at that point in Kobes career it would make sense to take 50 million dollars and just fade into the atlantic ocean. I dont agree with say LeBron James going to Europe as a 25 year old in the prime of his NBA career, and even though at 33, Bryant would still have gas in the tank, a 50 million dollar visit to the place he grew up would make sense.

if an italian team will pay him 50mil at 33 and he’s got at least 3 c’hips to his name an MVP or 2 and a ton of other accolades, i’d take it. It’s what Beck’s did in reverse coming to LA. He had a bunch of club championships had solidified himself in europe and took a serious pay increase.

WOW!!! It does suit Kobe’s presonality though.

“I love the weather, I love my ‘63 drop-top
Impala, I love the 405, and I love my guys,” What he forgets to mention is that
he loves himself and money more than anything, more than the NBA and more than
winning championships. I guess we all know he will never accomplish a tenth of
what MJ did so what’s left to do here in the USA. Kobe will always be known as
the greatest player to be indicted on rape charges will still playing in the
NBA! =)

This is stupid, neither Kobe nor Lebron, nor any other NBA superstar is going to go to Europe.  All this is simply fodder for the moronic haters out there.  Haters are pathetic.

All i can say is BULL!…He’s not gonna leave the NBA just like L.J….winning a european title is like winning a minor league chamopionship…nobody will care about it.

Well, in 2011, 50 million dollars might be like 10 million euros if bernanke keeps the printing press rolling and the goverment keeps bailing everyone out. When I was in italy, I already saw a lot of kobe advertisements, so I’m sure they could find enough sponsors to cover most of that, and anyway, 50 million dollars is like 30 million euros, not a huge amount when you compare it to some of the soccer transfers.

this is crap.  these guys are not playing in europe.

There’s no way Kobe is going to Europe.  I dare him to go – I dare him!

Wait, why are all the basketball players wearing the older gentleman’s hat.. I thought that was just Deron Williams’ style.

And let’s consider how much more global endorsements he stands to make … Yea, I’m sure it has to do with national pride of Italy.

Redsox fan … baring a injury with no hope that Kobe will ever be half the player he is he will get max money from every team in the NBA that can offer it even if he’s 33

It is unfortunate that soccer transfer fees are linked to player salaries.   A player may be sold for 40 million and make 7 million a year – or less.  Soccer salaries in Europe are far less than the major American sports – especially for the top athletes.

The athletes have been telling fans via their on-court behavior that they don’t really care about the game since the real game is taking control, and they have done that on most teams.   Now, major players are making off-field comments about going abroad to make money.  All talk about titles is just a joke - "the rings" bs is used to appear sincere/dedicated. 

The premier players are willing to turn their back on the game, the game-fixing refs are being outted, major coaches are being charged, major players are being charged, … but a football owner doesn’t know a thing about a major, obvious dogfighting operation.  Folks, the writing is on the wall.

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that the Euroleague schedule is not as much of a grind as the NBA’s schedule.  I know that Andre Turner, starting point guard for the 1985 Final Four Memphis State Tigers, was still playing and starting in Spain as of last year at the request of his team – at age 44.  I don’t know what league he’s in, but those games are played weekly.  One game a week is an entirely different game than back-to-backs and 4 games in 7 days schedules.  Age 33 is not so old in a once-per-week format.

I think he would take it. Hes a me first, look at me, the spotlight has to be on me, selfish, ego driven type of cry baby. Give him a few more years of failure chasing the title and he would take the money.It would put him back in the spotlight. a high profile guy leaving the NBA and the country while possibly getting one of the biggest 1 year contracts of all time. I could see him doing it. Thats the kind of news he craves and puts all the focus on him. Of course Europe is much easier than the NBA. These guys can say theyre pros and all that but they have guys playing into the 40’s and being productive. I think even  Bob McAdoo played a long time over there after his NBA career was done.