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Kobe Bryant Reportedly Demands $15 Million From Italian Team

Kobe Bryant is looking to spend his time off due to the NBA lockout in Italy, but he won't come cheap to Italian clubs.

With the NBA mired in a lockout, its superstars are shopping their services to teams on other continents, and Kobe Bryant is no exception. Bryant has reportedly declined an offer of $6.7 million a year from Italian club Virtus Bologna and has made a counter-offer of $15 million, over twice the original amount discussed.

That $15 million works out to be about $7.5 million after taxes and Bologna president Claudio Sabatini is working through ways to make it happen. Having Bryant on your team is a marketing coup but the team is obviously having some trouble coming up with that kind of cash. They may be able to lock down a sponsor to cover his salary and cost of insurance, but even then it may not be enough. 

Kobe is reportedly looking for a one-year contract with an out-clause in the case the NBA resolves it's continuing labor dispute. He's in Italy this week to work on a deal. Bologna may not come to terms with Bryant, but it's also being reported that they're also pursing Spurs star Manu Ginobili