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Spurs Brazil
06-30-2009, 05:54 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4298227

It wasn't long ago that Kobe Bryant reportedly wanted out of Los Angeles. He's not going anywhere now.



Bryant

Fresh off winning the championship, the Lakers guard decided not to exercise an early termination option in his contract and will return for the 2009-10 season, a league source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

Bryant is scheduled to make $23 million next season by not opting out. He also has a player option to opt out of his contract in the 2010-11 season. The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source.

After two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Bryant requested a trade in the spring of 2007, saying that he didn't like the direction the team's rebuilding was going.

The Lakers then went out and traded for big man Pau Gasol. Los Angeles increased its win total from 42 games to 57 and went to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers bounced back with a 65-win season in 2008-09, made it back to the Finals and beat the Orlando Magic for the title. Bryant distinguished himself by winning his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal. The duo won three from 2000-02.


Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
Chillen
06-30-2009, 06:43 PM
The Gasol trade is the reason why the Lakers have a championship and get to keep Kobe. If they hadn't made that trade it could have gotten really ugly for LA.
YellowFever
06-30-2009, 06:54 PM
^Thankyou Captain Obvious.
BruceBowenFan
06-30-2009, 06:58 PM
Who didnt see this coming.
coyotes_geek
06-30-2009, 07:02 PM
Damn. I was sure Kobe was going to opt out and take the Spurs MLE. I guess some guys would just rather take the money instead of playing for a ring.
DUNCANownsKOBE2
06-30-2009, 07:03 PM
Damn. I was sure Kobe was going to opt out and take the Spurs MLE. I guess some guys would just rather take the money instead of playing for a ring.

:lmao

That ranks right up there with your HOR comment.
DUNCANownsKOBE2
06-30-2009, 07:06 PM
The Gasol trade is the reason why the Lakers have a championship and get to keep Kobe. If they hadn't made that trade it could have gotten really ugly for LA.


Do you want a trophy for that deep analysis?
BlackSwordsMan
06-30-2009, 07:07 PM
good reporting
Trainwreck2100
06-30-2009, 07:16 PM
i thought laker fans wanted him to opt out, then sign a new contract for less money this year
ginobili's bald spot
06-30-2009, 07:17 PM
This is a shocking development.
coyotes_geek
06-30-2009, 07:20 PM
:lmao

That ranks right up there with your HOR comment.

Thanks. :toast

Funniest part is that if the Gasol trade never happened, someone would have said this and been serious about it.
MarHill
06-30-2009, 07:22 PM
Who didnt see this coming.

Yeah.....what a surprise!!

There are some things that shouldn't be reported!!!!:wow
mystargtr34
06-30-2009, 08:29 PM
It is a surprise.

I thought he would opt out and he and the Lakers would come to a new agreement with a restructured contract to accomodate Ariza and Odom.
lefty
06-30-2009, 08:43 PM
Laker fans should ALL suck Jerry West's prune for the Gasol trade
KSeal
06-30-2009, 08:46 PM
Why, he had nothing to do with it. That's just in the heads of Spur fans cause they can't accept the Lakers FO made a great trade, just like the Spurs did with Jefferson.
lefty
06-30-2009, 08:47 PM
Why, he had nothing to do with it. That's just in the heads of Spur fans cause they can't accept the Lakers FO made a great trade, just like the Spurs did with Jefferson.
Just kidding


Still, they should all suck his prune anyway
angelbelow
06-30-2009, 08:52 PM
*breaking news*
21_Blessings
06-30-2009, 09:10 PM
The Gasol trade is the reason why the Lakers have a championship and get to keep Kobe. If they hadn't made that trade it could have gotten really ugly for LA.

Yeah, they were the 1st seed at one point pre-Gasol trade. Really ugly dude.
SpursDynasty
06-30-2009, 09:13 PM
Kobe staying on the Lakers, how original, never seen that one before.
lefty
06-30-2009, 09:15 PM
Yeah, they were the 1st seed at one point pre-Gasol trade. Really ugly dude.
They were the 1st seed.

But the Gasol trade helped them to get to that championship level.


Do you seriously think they would have gotten there without Pau ? :donkey
Spursfan092120
06-30-2009, 09:16 PM
Yeah, they were the 1st seed at one point pre-Gasol trade. Really ugly dude.
You don't pay attention much. What he's saying was that Kobe wanted out, and when Gasol came in, that kept him there...if Kobe had left, it would have been ugly in LA..period.
VivaPopovich
06-30-2009, 10:21 PM
when gasol came in and they started winning games i dont think anyone was serious about trading him at that point. they probably just pushed that trade that kobe eventually vetoed to show that if kobe demands a trade he'll get it

the real trick will be coping with kobe when phil aint around
Spurtacus
06-30-2009, 10:28 PM
I really thought he was going to opt out. I mean, he's never won a championship without Phil Jackson. People will never respect him for that!
cobbler
06-30-2009, 10:35 PM
Kobe staying on the Lakers, how original, never seen that one before.

Why are you still here? The Lakers won and you said you would never post here again if they did. Are you a welcher? Are you not a man of your word?
mytespurs
06-30-2009, 11:12 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4298227

It wasn't long ago that Kobe Bryant reportedly wanted out of Los Angeles. He's not going anywhere now.



Bryant

Fresh off winning the championship, the Lakers guard decided not to exercise an early termination option in his contract and will return for the 2009-10 season, a league source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

Bryant is scheduled to make $23 million next season by not opting out. He also has a player option to opt out of his contract in the 2010-11 season. The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source.

After two straight first-round exits from the playoffs, Bryant requested a trade in the spring of 2007, saying that he didn't like the direction the team's rebuilding was going.

The Lakers then went out and traded for big man Pau Gasol. Los Angeles increased its win total from 42 games to 57 and went to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers bounced back with a 65-win season in 2008-09, made it back to the Finals and beat the Orlando Magic for the title. Bryant distinguished himself by winning his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal. The duo won three from 2000-02.


Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

No surprise here; this team is young, deep and are odds on favorites to repeat as nba champs.
LEONARD
07-04-2009, 02:42 PM
Kobe staying on the Lakers, how original, never seen that one before.



If the Lakers win the championship...

I'll leave this forum for life.

I am doing this to prove to everyone how much of a non-factor the Lakers are in the playoffs. They haven't accomplished anything. They just want to come out, shoot some hoops, and BS their way to everything. Not going to get it done in the Finals. Orlando will win the championship. There are no All-Stars other than Kobe on this Laker team. Not an intimidating lineup. Just a bunch of a jump shooters who score off Kobe double teams.

Pussy...
carrao45
07-05-2009, 12:07 AM
Oh my god no way...
NewJerSpur
07-05-2009, 12:16 AM
Frontrunning at its finest. KG may act an ass more often than not, but he was willing to gut it out in Minnesota just to have an opportunity to see the franchise re-resurrect itself (not saying the money wasn't a bit of a factor as well) while Bryant had a mid-career crisis having already won 3 rings.
carrao45
07-05-2009, 12:24 AM
Frontrunning at its finest. KG may act an ass more often than not, but he was willing to gut it out in Minnesota just to have an opportunity to see the franchise re-resurrect itself (not saying the money wasn't a bit of a factor as well) while Bryant had a mid-career crisis having already won 3 rings.
Who wouldnt want out of a team starting Luke Walton, Smush Parker, and Kwami Brown?
NewJerSpur
07-05-2009, 12:27 AM
Who wouldnt want out of a team starting Luke Walton, Smush Parker, and Kwami Brown?

KG worked with less and still didn't bitch. Kobe acted like a spoiled brat with a playoff team and 3 rings in his dresser drawer.
carrao45
07-05-2009, 12:30 AM
KG worked with less and still didn't bitch. Kobe acted like a spoiled brat with a playoff team and 3 rings in his dresser drawer.

So Kobe was bitching about losing...but it's ok for KG to act tough to small players, be a bitch against big players, and talk shit to the Bulls after a Celticswin he had nothing to do with? ok.

And since when should players stop wanting to win after they win a few?
NewJerSpur
07-05-2009, 12:46 AM
So Kobe was bitching about losing...but it's ok for KG to act tough to small players, be a bitch against big players, and talk shit to the Bulls after a Celticswin he had nothing to do with? ok.

And since when should players stop wanting to win after they win a few?

KG might be an ass on the court, but Kobe has proven himself to be an ass on and off of it.

-He bitched about the team assembled around him knowing he wasn't going to be traded and was going to have to suit up with those same players at some point

-He wanted to disassemble components of the team the year before practically that same team got him to the Finals, but made no mention about the matter after seeing how far they could....very two-faced.

-He threw ownership under the bus via any media outlet that would hear his plea when they were the ones that gave him a chance to win titles (especially by allowing him develop when he was pretty bad).