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5 Reasons Kobe Bryant’s Contract Extension With The Lakers Is A Good Move
Last night, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers announced a to a two-year contract extension that will reportedly pay him $23.5 million in 2014-15 and $25 million in 2015-16. This might come to a shock to some, considering he’s 35-years-old and fresh off a season-ending torn achilles. We also can’t forget Bryant flirted with the idea of hanging up his Nike’s sooner than later. Despite the fact that he has yet to hit the floor this season, the Buss family won’t let Bryant, arguably the greatest player to play in the Purple & Gold, retire with any other franchise. So does this mean the Lakers are still title contenders or is the idea of Kobe catching MJ with six rings a Hollywood fairy tale?
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Emulate The Greats
Let’s call it what it is: Kobe Bryant’s basketball existence has always been about catching up to (and attempting to surpass) Michael Jordan. If he’s not better than Mike, he’s the closest one. What better way to keep his name in the best ever argument than do one more thing MJ never did. After winning ring number six, Jordan walked away from the game for a second time at 34-years-old. In his 13th year, Jordan dropped 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game for the Bulls but there’s always that thought that he walked away a little too soon. At 34, Kobe’s numbers on the board read 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and six assists per night before he tore his achilles. Two more productive seasons like that only add to Bryant’s legacy and boost his standings in the all-time greats conversation.
Let’s call it what it is: Kobe Bryant’s basketball existence has always been about catching up to (and attempting to surpass) Michael Jordan. If he’s not better than Mike, he’s the closest one. What better way to keep his name in the best ever argument than do one more thing MJ never did. After winning ring number six, Jordan walked away from the game for a second time at 34-years-old. In his 13th year, Jordan dropped 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game for the Bulls but there’s always that thought that he walked away a little too soon. At 34, Kobe’s numbers on the board read 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and six assists per night before he tore his achilles. Two more productive seasons like that only add to Bryant’s legacy and boost his standings in the all-time greats conversation.
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Bound II L.A.
There isn’t much loyalty today in sports because business moves trump all when it comes to both franchises and athletes. Kobe’s kind of a throwback in many ways, especially when it comes to his relationship with the team. His contemporaries like Ray Allen, Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce have all called at least two different teams home in the hunt for a title. Bryant is the last a dying breed and bleeds purple as far any NBA fan is concerned. Ending his career anywhere else but Laker land just isn’t an option and this contract extension says the Laker front office is committed to having him finish his career where it began.
There isn’t much loyalty today in sports because business moves trump all when it comes to both franchises and athletes. Kobe’s kind of a throwback in many ways, especially when it comes to his relationship with the team. His contemporaries like Ray Allen, Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce have all called at least two different teams home in the hunt for a title. Bryant is the last a dying breed and bleeds purple as far any NBA fan is concerned. Ending his career anywhere else but Laker land just isn’t an option and this contract extension says the Laker front office is committed to having him finish his career where it began.
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Lakers Don’t Tank
With all the hype surrounding the next crop of NBA players to come from the 2014 rookie class, headlined by Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, the Lakers have to stay competitive. Signing the player who’s been the team’s megastar for nearly a decade keeps the Lakers competitive and acts as a draw to free agents who might be looking for a change of scenery soon. Eric Bledsoe of Phoenix, the Pacers’ Lance Stephenson, Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks and Greg Monroe from Detroit are some of the free agents the Lake Show will surely be in talks with in 2014. Not to mention the King of South Beach, LeBron James. Playing with Bryant to eventually inherit being the face of the Lakers organization has to be on every high-level players radar.
With all the hype surrounding the next crop of NBA players to come from the 2014 rookie class, headlined by Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, the Lakers have to stay competitive. Signing the player who’s been the team’s megastar for nearly a decade keeps the Lakers competitive and acts as a draw to free agents who might be looking for a change of scenery soon. Eric Bledsoe of Phoenix, the Pacers’ Lance Stephenson, Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks and Greg Monroe from Detroit are some of the free agents the Lake Show will surely be in talks with in 2014. Not to mention the King of South Beach, LeBron James. Playing with Bryant to eventually inherit being the face of the Lakers organization has to be on every high-level players radar.
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Trust In The Kobe System
Look, we know Kobe is now one of the NBA’s elder statesmen but keep it 100: If he’s healthy, is there ever any certainty that he can’t win? How many times has he pulled of the impossible? How many players points per game average actually increases after age 32? Not even His Airness can make that claim. No matter how rocky a season the Lakers have, if Bryant is on the floor, opponents are never comfortable and fans don’t stop believing. No Journey though.
A few more season’s with the Mamba in control, means a few more opportunities to do what many deem impossible for the Lakers at this point: win a title.
Look, we know Kobe is now one of the NBA’s elder statesmen but keep it 100: If he’s healthy, is there ever any certainty that he can’t win? How many times has he pulled of the impossible? How many players points per game average actually increases after age 32? Not even His Airness can make that claim. No matter how rocky a season the Lakers have, if Bryant is on the floor, opponents are never comfortable and fans don’t stop believing. No Journey though.
A few more season’s with the Mamba in control, means a few more opportunities to do what many deem impossible for the Lakers at this point: win a title.
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Chasing The Sky Hook
6,968.
That’s the number of points Kobe Bryant is away from being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The record is held by fellow Laker legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who used his signature Sky Hook to put up 38,387 career points. Kobe’s well aware of this and while he’s past the point of records being his focus, don’t think for a second that he wouldn’t love to retire with the honor of the game’s greatest scorer. Bryant’s career average is 25.5 points a game, which puts him at a little over 2,000 points a season (not including playoffs). He’s already locked in for the next two seasons, but the closer he gets to the mark, the more likely he’ll stick around another season or two to break it. The no passing memes will write themselves.
6,968.
That’s the number of points Kobe Bryant is away from being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The record is held by fellow Laker legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who used his signature Sky Hook to put up 38,387 career points. Kobe’s well aware of this and while he’s past the point of records being his focus, don’t think for a second that he wouldn’t love to retire with the honor of the game’s greatest scorer. Bryant’s career average is 25.5 points a game, which puts him at a little over 2,000 points a season (not including playoffs). He’s already locked in for the next two seasons, but the closer he gets to the mark, the more likely he’ll stick around another season or two to break it. The no passing memes will write themselves.
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