Bryant ‘Optimistic’ Odom Will Re-Sign With Lakers

[duncan228]

Bryant ‘optimistic’ Odom will re-sign with Lakers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txlakersbryantodom&prov=st&type=lgns)
By Alex Kennedy

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is optimistic the NBA champions will re-sign key free agent Lamar Odom.

“I’m optimistic that he’ll be back,” Bryant said Wednesday at a news conference in Singapore as part of a six-country Asian tour. “He makes us a much, much stronger team.”

Negotiations broke down last week and the Lakers retracted a contract offer to Odom. The Miami Heat are also wooing the 6-foot-10 forward.

Odom played a key role off the bench in the Lakers’ championship run, averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.

Bryant said forward Ron Artest, who signed as a free agent with the Lakers earlier this month, will help bolster the team’s chances to repeat as champions.

“I think Ron’s going to be a great addition to us,” Bryant said. “It’s about how well we play together. No matter how much talent you have, it’s about how you put those pieces of the puzzle together.”

Bryant downplayed speculation that Lakers coach Phil Jackson may take some games off next season because of health problems.

“Who said he’s coaching less?” Bryant said. “Phil likes messing with you guys. He’ll be there all the time, unless he has a doctor’s appointment to get to.”

Bryant also said he was more likely to agree to play for Team USA at the World Championships in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympics now that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has committed to lead the team.

Bryant and Krzyzewski won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last year.

“I’m very excited to see that he signed on,” Bryant said. “It influences all the guys just because we’ve been through that experience before and it becomes like a family.”

“It definitely influences me.”

Bryant, an 11-time All-Star, said a possible showdown against LeBron James, former Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers in next season’s finals would be “crazy.”

“Just the hoopla that surrounds it and all the stories that would come out of it,” Bryant said. “If that match up is to happen, we have to take it one day at a time, we can’t get caught up in it being a given that we’re going to be in the finals.”

“We have to take care of our business, but that being said, it would be a heck of a show.”

[duncan228]

Kobe wants to be Laker for life (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbalakersbryantsingapore&prov=afp&type=lgns)

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant said Thursday he wanted to spend the rest of his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers and ruled out an eventual second career in basketball as a coach.

Bryant, who led the Lakers to the NBA title last month and was named Most Valuable Player of the finals, opted not to become a free agent on July 1, instead staying with the team with which he has now won four titles.

"I'll be a Laker for the rest of my career… I don't see myself playing any place else," Bryant told reporters in Singapore, the second stop of a six-city Asian tour.

Bryant also ruled out a move into coaching after his playing career ends.

"The answer to that is an emphatic no," he said.

Bryant was scheduled to visit Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu in the coming days after an earlier stop in Manila.

[iggypop123]

i think we all knew this

[KSeal]

So another pointless Odom thread, got it.

[JamStone]

Kobe basically trumping Jerry Buss and ordering Buss to relent with the hardball stance in negotiations and concede to Odom's demands, thru the media. Good move by Kobe. He knows the Lakers need Odom. If Buss doesn't re-sign Odom now, he'll have a pissed off Kobe next season. Kobe might have to choke a bitch.

[Reeko_Htown]

I don't know how Credible this is but....http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html if it's true Lakers a re stupid.

[KSeal]

Lakers are real stupid to bring back a guy that almost guarantees them rings, lol.

[Baseline]

I don't know how Credible this is but....http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html if it's true Lakers a re stupid.

I thought Dr. Buss was out of the country right now. How is he in Vegas signing a 4/40M deal with Odom?

[Culburn369]

Kobe basically trumping Jerry Buss and ordering Buss to relent with the hardball stance in negotiations and concede to Odom's demands, thru the media. Good move by Kobe. He knows the Lakers need Odom. If Buss doesn't re-sign Odom now, he'll have a pissed off Kobe next season. Kobe might have to choke a bitch.

& get a little mud on his turtle.

[Culburn369]

I don't know how Credible this is but....http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html if it's true Lakers a re stupid.

3 Comments

By Shirley on July 22, 2009 3:55 PM (http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html#comment-494463)

Often first with the news. Nice.



By OaklandLakers on July 22, 2009 3:58 PM (http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html#comment-494475)

How legit is this source?



By Robert Littal (http://www.blacksportsonline.com/) on July 22, 2009 4:04 PM (http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html#comment-494484)

Source was in Las Vegas when Odom was meeting with Buss.
I knew yesterday. Waited for more concrete stuff today which I got.
It is a done deal]]]

Bomb diggity!

[Culburn369]

Buss has a front office. The only thing he handles is poker chips, and fine young bitches.

Like the ones in that picture of the girl with her jeans pulled down? Even though that cameran angle is 8 inches too far left I know what's in that crevice and Cubby wants to grovel in it for a week, maybe longer.

[Ghazi]

Someone told me Odom has resigned for 4 years 40 million

[KSeal]

Well, multiple people have been grumbling about this deal the past few days but this is the first legit website to say anything, I hope it's correct. It's most likely 4/40 with a team option for the forth year, and a buyout of 3 or 4 million for the last year so a 3/33 deal if the Lakers want it to be.

[DPG21920]

That would be stupid ^. If Lamar ends up signing for less or the same amount as the original deal, that would be dumb. What is the point of having the 4th year as a team option for Odom?

[KSeal]

That would be stupid ^. If Lamar ends up signing for less or the same amount as the original deal, that would be dumb. What is the point of having the 4th year as a team option for Odom?

The Lakers don't want to commit longer then three years, so if Odom sucks, or gets injured, or Bynum turns into a legit guy and Odoms role diminishes, you aren't stuck paying him 11 million for a forth year. This has been the hang up the whole time, Lamar wants a long term deal, the Lakers don't want to go past three years. If this story is true I'm guessing Lamar finally woke up and realized that deal is sweet.

[JamStone]

Even with a buyout, that would be more than the original deal. It would guarantee Odom $10 million per year plus whatever the buyout is. I would guess the buyout would be more than $3 million though, if there is one.

[iggypop123]

well odom was in vegas, but seirously black sports online?

[KSeal]

BSO is legit as fuck, at least that's my hope.

[Muser]

I said it from the start, Odom will be a Laker.

[lefty]

Wow I thought Kobe was going to ask to be traded

He seems to be in a good mood; the asian raping must be in full effect

[DPG21920]

Even with a buyout, that would be more than the original deal. It would guarantee Odom $10 million per year plus whatever the buyout is. I would guess the buyout would be more than $3 million though, if there is one.

If it is a team option, there is no buyout, correct? If it is 4yrs 40M, that is 10M per year, with the last year as a team option?

That would only be 30M guaranteed (like his last contract) and not any movement on the Laker's side.

The full MLE offer from Miami would still be more guaranteed money, correct?

[DAF86]

Like the ones in that picture of the girl with her jeans pulled down? Even though that cameran angle is 8 inches too far left I know what's in that crevice and Cubby wants to grovel in it for a week, maybe longer.

What picture?

[JamStone]

If it is a team option, there is no buyout, correct? If it is 4yrs 40M, that is 10M per year, with the last year as a team option?

That would only be 30M guaranteed (like his last contract) and not any movement on the Laker's side.

The full MLE offer from Miami would still be more guaranteed money, correct?

Right, two different things. Team option would mean none of it's guaranteed. Having that fourth year partially guaranteed with a buyout means it's not an option, but rather the team can buy the last year out for less than its worth. I doubt Odom and his agent would agree with the fourth year as a team option, because they can all but be assured the Lakers won't pick up that fourth year and it means basically they just negotiated a 3 year $30 million deal.

[DAF86]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ogrDCYWuQPY/SA2Ny98SVEI/AAAAAAAAAa4/WHwq940R020/s1600-h/dr-buss.jpg

Thanks, :toast

[DPG21920]

Exactly. I said it would be stupid if it was 4 years 40M with the 4th year a team option for Lamar. That is essentially the same option as they gave him initially.

[Mr. Body]

Lakers are real stupid to bring back a guy that almost guarantees them rings, lol.

*snert*

[crc21209]

More like "Kobe hopes Odom re-signs with Lakers to avoid asking for another trade."

[lefty]

Kobe " Yo Lamar wassup; this is the greatest baller of all-time calling from Thailand "
Lamar " Hey Kob; how ar.."
Kobe " Shut up bitch "
Lamar " ...e you doing...wait WTF "
Kobe " Sorry I'm raping an Asian chick, her name is Sakda"
Lamar " Sasha ???? "
Kobe " No no; SAKDA, its a Thai chick name; "
Lamar " Dude I just looked it up on my MePhone; in Thailand Sakda is a male name "
Kobe " .... "
Lamar " WTF; that's it I'm going to Miami "
Kobe " So liste..."
Lamar " click...."

Kobe (dialing his GM) "teet-teet-teet-teet-teet"
Kobe " Mitch I want to be traded "
Mitch " Don't worry, I'm calling Jerry West "