Kobe Bryant might not be interested in Turkey or Besiktas, but the prospect of Europe still is very alluring to him. Although China does seem to have a bit of a lead at this point, Bryant might be willing to listen to offers on the European continent as well. Juliet Macur of the New York Times states that Bryant is "open to playing in Europe", although it's probably similar to how Translation: Don't read too much into that openness.
There are a lot of good reasons for Kobe to play in Europe. For one, he grew up in Italy, so he's familiar with the European lifestyle. He speaks fluent Spanish and Italian, so he'd be comfortable in the relaxed Mediterranean environment of either country. He is a soccer nut, and he did tell a reporter he'd be very comfortable with playing in Barcelona. Plus he could possibly team up with his buddy Pau Gasol, who is also open to the thought of coming home and playing until everything settles.
There are a few good reasons for Kobe not to play in Europe.
- Money.
- Money.
- Money.
The reason Turkey and China are the two names being bandied about is because they can offer Bryant the most. Unless Bryant can be offered more, that's probably as far as this goes.
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