What Could Happen If Kobe Bryant Holdouts On Los Angeles LakersSeptember 21 07 Sam Smith, a writer with MSNBC.com and veteran NBA reporter, has an interesting suggestion for Kobe Bryant:
He was easily the best player on the U.S. team that swept to first place in the tournament. True, the field was weak, but the U.S. team was strong and Bryant shone brightest. He was the team’s only true two-way player, as ferocious on defense as he was skilled on offense. He scored from everywhere, as we’ve seen before, and again left little doubt that while he may not be the most popular, or certainly obliging, player, he is the most talented in the NBA today.He turned 29 last month, and the Lakers are squandering the best part of his career. Perhaps Bryant would be better off sitting out a year, just preparing for the 2008 Olympics, perhaps doing some commercials and appearances. He wouldn’t make close to the almost $20 million he’d have to forfeit. But he’d save his body and let it recover and perhaps extend his career on the other end. My Quick Take: I want to emphasize this idea originated with Smith. He’s a great reporter, one of the NBA’s best, so check out his work in the NBA section of www.msnbc.com. His main point is interesting. Bryant shouldn’t play for the Lakers because they surround him with mediocre talent. He suggests Bryant would be better off sitting out the season, preserving his health, and extending the back-end of his career.
Smith reinforces his argument by reminding readers that Michael Jordan never thrived until his
teammates, mainly Scottie Pippen, developed into top players.
Who does Bryant have? Lamar Odom is talented, but the last few seasons have revealed his shortcomings. Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown can’t touch Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman.
Let’s assume Bryant sits out a year, maybe two. The superstar is probably expecting that time to count against his contract. He would forgo his NBA salary and wait until after the 2008-09 season, when he can exercise the opt-out clause on his contract and become an unrestricted free agent.
Sounds good in theory, right? Well, hold on. It’s not so simple.
If Bryant escalates the situation by holding out, Dr. Buss will hire some nasty lawyers and play hardball. He’ll go before an arbitrator and argue that Bryant’s contract should be backdated and that he owes the team the time he sat for.
A little draconian. Maybe? But, remember, after Shaq publicly insulted Buss, the eccentric old man quickly cut ties with his favorite center. If Bryant sits, his once-friendly relationship with the club’s owner will get even uglier.
Precedence is not on Bryant’s side. Several years ago, Alexi Yashin, an NHL Player, had a contract with the Ottawa Senators and sat out a year in hopes of forcing a trade. After one season on the sidelines, Yashin reported to the team. But his contract was backdated a year-by an arbitrator’s ruling.
Bryant could gain leverage by sitting out for a trade. However, the Lakers could potentially gain leverage by going before an arbitrator. Again, this is just a hypothetical situation based on a holdout scenario proposed by Smith. But, man, is it ever interesting.
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Posted by
kobefan
on 09.25.2007 | Kobe is an awesome player and he deserves a better team. Although I wouldn’t blame him if he sat out this season, I’d miss watching him play and i’m sure many other fans feel that way. I think the best solution I would prefer is for kubchak to do what danny Ainge has done. Kobe deserves to win . | Posted by
AI4Pres
on 09.25.2007 | Taht one guy — serious? CWEbb with one good leg as good or better than Odom? You lost all credibility with that one. And who cares if he’s the best in the game? Some say Duncan is — I can’t see him holding out. Kobe fans seem to think LA owes Kobe something. No guarentees in life, which is why you don’t sign multi-year contracts. Kobe cared more about being the man and the money than — and not signing a two-year or three-year deal. He has to live with it. . | Posted by
TJ
on 09.24.2007 | first od all Lbj is the best when kobe was 21 he avd like 18 a game when LBj avraged 31 like when he was 20 and kobe should demand a trade or have them trade for B diddy cuz i guess he wants out cuz stupid warroirs traded j rich who fired them up and made all the main contributions damn stupid trade . | Posted by
on 09.24.2007 | kobe is the best player in the NBA. you’re just hating coz he’s better than your AI, or your LBJ.I dont think Kobe would do this. He may be a cry baby, he may act all spoiled. But he is a basketball player, the best one at that. nothing can keep him away from basketball . | Posted by
LJ23
on 09.23.2007 | kobe sucks...play in some other league! nba dont need cry babies! . | Posted by
Taht one guy
on 09.22.2007 | hey ai i seem to recall chris webber being with allen iverson who is jsut as good as lamar or maybe better u just don’t like kobe b/c iverson is nearing the end of his career and kobe has another 4-5 years left. Kobe is above the game. Any player in the legaue ahve at one piont in an interview said kobe is the best player today. Don’t hate on kobe cuz he’s better then ur little allen iverson. In 2005-2006 season kobe had lamar and avaraged 35 ppg and took them to a game 7 against the suns which i admit didn’t go to well and i was a bit dissapointed. Iverson is in the east wich is weaker, he had chris webber, and they let the milwauke bucks get the #8 spot. Don’t even try to talk s---about kobe cuz iverson hasn’t done s---in his career except score and complain about "practice"what kind of nba superstar does that. He had a hall of fame coach by his side and he’s complaining in a press conference about practice. Kobe may have had troubles with phil jackson but kobe did everything phil said. If fill said run up and down the court kobe does it just cuz it will improve his conditioning. Taht why he is the most conditioned player in teh game and the best. . | Posted by
fpita
on 09.22.2007 | trade him ! He is selfish, not a team player, the olympic team is just an act, he has an ego bigger than himself, trade him and re-build , teams last an average of 10 years to rebuilttrade koby Bryant . | Posted by
mauilaker
on 09.22.2007 | Get him help so they can be contenders. Thats it! For one thing mitch Is an idiot. He hasn’t made one good move as GM, and thinks he made the team better? Getting Fish and resigning Luke isn’t getting better. They are still average and need to make big improvements. If they go out and trade Kwame, Bynum, and Rodmon for Jermaine? Then they are contenders. If Danny Ainge can form a team of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce, why can’t Mitch pull it off too? Biggest Pill? Mitch!! Kobe, Fish, Walton, Lamar, and Jermaine your starting five? Mitch gone? Problem solved!! Everyone happy! Maybe they should hire me!! . | Posted by
on 09.22.2007 | Hey ya’ll don’t be too consumed about Kobe Bryant’s future!! . | Posted by
omillbro (Longtime Laker Fan)
on 09.21.2007 | If Kobe Bryant follows the course suggested by the writer it would prove once and for all that he is an egotical crybaby with no honor. Sure, he is a great basketball player, but to let his team mates down, as well to not honor his contract, that I assume he signed in good faith, would be totally unacceptable to me as a longtime Laker fan. Any professional in any profession who would pull such a stunt for the dishonorable reasons that Kobe seems to be strirring the pot in LA would not deserve to be a part of that profession. If Kobe holds out I would say get rid of the cancer on the team as quickly and as profitable as possible and lets move on. If Mr. Bryant does what the writer suggest and holds out, as a longtime Laker fan I would know longer wish to be entertained by a person whom, performed such a dishonorable service to the many honorable gentlemen who have donned the Laker uniform in the past or the many honorable people who have been associated with the team in the past. As I have stated in the past Mr Bryant needs to perform as he is being paid to do, lead the team like a real leader and stop acting like a spoiled brat. . | Posted by
on 09.21.2007 | Kobe values his fans? You’re an idiot! . | Posted by
Count Chocula
on 09.21.2007 | Kobe should try illegal cell phone sales. Him and Isaiah Rider could set up shop in one of their cars. They could make 20-30 dollars per illegal cell phone. They could stay at hotels when they go out of town and Isaiah could kidnap the staff and Kobe would well...u know! . | Posted by
The Count
on 09.21.2007 | bryant should sit out, and stay out. he’s a cry baby. . | Posted by
et3rnul
on 09.21.2007 | AI4Pres, no one is saying Kobe is above the team. The fact is the Lakers have done next to nothing to improve the current roster. Laker fans deserve to see improvements. People are suggesting that Kobe sit out in order to force Laker bra-------to do SOMETHING and to stop holding onto a 19 year old kid who did not even play basketball until his junior year in high school. . | Posted by
AI4Pres
on 09.21.2007 | Oly, you and Sam should form a Bryant fan club. Listen to Sam: "[The Bulls] never put Michael Jordan in a position where he couldn’t win every year once he did. They never experimented and never rebuilt." When did Kobe win exactly? Was he the focal point of that team? The MVP? I think CHI would have had trouble winning immediately around Pippen if it lost Jordan. Heck Pip took CHI farther than Kobe took LAL. Look at Camby, . | Posted by
AI4Pres
on 09.21.2007 | I thought teams were bigger than players? Iverson, Pierce, in a weak conference with more opportunity to get to the finals, didnt’ get a number two as good as Odom and they didn’t complain (well, until this past season). But no one was saying they shoudl quit. Why do Kobe fans think he’s above the game? . | Posted by
KOBE Philippines
on 09.21.2007 | Kobe Bryant wouldn’t do such a thing because he values his fans more than anything else in the world. Without any help or not, Kobe will still be Kobe. The Lakers will grow more as a team and will rise to the challenge that lies before them. . |
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Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
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