Generally, when Sonny Vaccaro makes a prediction about basketball players, it usually comes true. And by "usually comes true", I mean "almost never comes true". He predicted LeBron James would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, but end up with the Chicago Bulls (and two years before that, it was the Knicks that LeBron would be saving). He said Tracy McGrady should have been the greatest basketball player of all time and had the most talent he'd ever seen.
Lakers fans can thus view this latest fancy by one of the most powerful men in sports with a healthy degree of skepticism. Vaccaro (whose most recent prediction on Kobe involved him fleeing the Lakers after the 2009 season and playing for Europe) said on the Chris Vernon Show that Kobe would end up going to China on Nike's bill. At first glance, it sounds like it'd make sense. Nike is trying to further its grip on the largest world market, and having its most marketable basketball player and China's favorite American athlete showcasing his talents in the big cities could be a big win.
But keep in mind this is Sonny Vaccaro we're talking about, and his aim on these dealings is generally scattershot.
For more on Kobe and the Lakers, head to Silver Screen and Roll.