The NBA Lockout has players looking at other options left and right and possibly the biggest fish to be pursued by overseas teams is none other than the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.
Bryant’s primary suitor has been Virtus Bologna in Italy. But as of today, that pursuit is no longer, according to CBS Sportsline. Virtus Bologna president Claudio Sabatini pulled out all the stops in trying to lure Bryant to his club, including an offer of $2 million for a single exhibition game. But Sabatini’s urgency and willingness to do whatever it took to get Bryant still wasn’t enough to match the demands of Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka.
Sabatini had no choice but to throw in the towel.
Bryant’s childhood upbringing overseas and his affinity for other cultures made him the most logical option among the biggest stars in the game to head overseas to continue playing in some capacity while the NBA and the NBAPA went through negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. For now, Bryant will remain stateside.