Why wouldn’t Kobe Bryant want to play in Italy?

[cruzg24]

Kobe Bryant has been offered $6.7 million to play for Virtus Bologna, an Italian team. The contract can be stripped-down to a per-game pay scale, and he can leave the squad should the NBA lockout ever end. Better yet, Bryant was raised in the country. Honestly, what's not to like?

If the NBA season is to start on time, the two sides embroiled in this current lockout have quite a bit of work to do over the next few weeks. Most peg a cutoff spot to cancel the rest of the preseason and possibly the first few weeks of the regular season as some date in mid-October, and though we're hearing encouraging on-record winks and nods from within this mess, both sides still have a fair amount of cohesion to develop within their particular ranks before they can actually come to an agreement as to what they're fighting for.

In the meantime, Kobe could jet off to Italy. No strings attached.

Bryant was raised in Italy, growing up there before returning to suburban Philadelphia to finish his high school career. His father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant was a star of sorts over there, and Kobe grew up idolizing Knick coach and former Italian league star Mike D'Antoni. So to play in the country on a per-month or even per-game basis with an out for once the lockout ends? Where's the issue with that?

From the AP:
Virtus Bologna general manager Massimo Faraoni tells The Associated Press he's been on conference calls between Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, Bologna president Claudio Sabatini and main sponsor Canadian Solar, which would provide the cash for such a deal.
"I think the fact that he's lived in Italy makes this appealing to him," Faraoni said.
Virtus has given Bryant four different contract options, stretching from the one-year deal to two-month and one-month options, and a per-game deal that would come out to $739,640 per home game.

All of the offers are pretax and would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

I see only three reasons why Kobe Bryant would not want to make the jump.
The most obvious and most relatable is the fact that he has a family, with kids in school, and jumping overseas would either mean leaving his family for an extended spell, or uprooting the entire clan. Sad wonks in the comment section can crack wise considering Kobe's past, but by all indications the man is a committed father, and this is no easy task for a player with a family, regardless of his history with the country.
Secondly? The guy was dragging around his right knee last year, undergoing midseason operations that weren't widely reported at the time to drain fluid and keep him somewhat short of teeth-gnashingly in pain for short stretches before the burn came back again. Nobody has logged heavier NBA hours since 1996, when Bryant entered the league, and it's not even close. The guy could use the time off, even if the NBA season starts on time.
Finally, he's been a Laker for life. And in spite of flirting with the Clippers and Bulls back in 2004, and asking for a trade three years later, Bryant has stayed committed to that ideal. It's a rare one, these days, with free agency, age, and bad basketball decisions (by the team or player) leading to a nomadic lifestyle for even Hall of Fame-level players, and Kobe is the rare modern player that stands out.

It seems like the perfect out. His old league, in a way. His old country. A good chunk of change (though around a quarter of what he would make in the NBA this year), and the ability to play the game he's clearly obsessed with at a level that at least approximates NBA ball. And the freedom to jump back to the NBA once he gets a text from Roger Mason Jr.

Source: yahoosports.com

 

[elcheato]

If he doesn't go he hates Italians, simple as that.

 

[Mexi]

i know the lakers hate this
nothing they can do though with this lockout

kobe only has so many miles left on his knee
remember, it's pretty much bone on bone. no cartilage

 

[cruzg24]

Its time for Kobe to go back home.

 

[playmaker7]

i know the lakers hate this
nothing they can do though with this lockout

kobe only has so many miles left on his knee
remember, it's pretty much bone on bone. no cartilage

Exactly

He can really do without the extra wear and tear

 

[Shady_McCoy25]

Joe "Jellybean" Bryant that is a funny nickname

 

[cruzg24]

ROME (AP)—Scheduling problems with other Italian clubs were threatening to derail plans for Kobe Bryant to play for Virtus Bologna during the NBA lockout.

Bologna President Claudio Sabatini had told an Italian radio station Friday the deal was “95 percent done,” and a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Bryant would be paid $3 million for the opening 40 days of the Italian league season—a period of about 10 games.

Bologna has requested to play five of its opening 10 games at home. A few other teams, however, don’t want to change their schedules to accommodate the Los Angeles Lakers’ star.


“With great surprise, Virtus Basketball notes that, due to the negative view of some clubs, it’s not possible to go forward with the 10-game agreement, therefore putting in serious doubt the economic deal behind the plan to bring Kobe Bryant to Italy,” a statement on Bologna’s website said.

The person familiar with the negotiations said smaller clubs Cremona and Varese were refusing to alter their schedules. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were ongoing.

Bologna would need to have the deal signed by the end of next week to register Bryant with the Italian league before the season starts.

The deal would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends. The 33-year-old Bryant has three years and $83.5 million left on his contract with the Lakers, who could void the deal if Bryant is injured playing abroad.