A few months ago, when the Lakers were swept away by the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant capped off a stretch of about three years of nearly nonstop basketball. He was in the Finals in '08, the Olympics that summer, then the Finals again the next two seasons. His body had taken a beating, as lingering knee issues prevented him from even practicing with his team for much of the season.
Apparently, though, Bryant isn't looking at the NBA lockout as an opportunity for rest — at least, that's the case if you believe Turkish club Besiktas.
"It is a fact that Kobe Bryant's managers have contacted us," Besiktas coach Ergin Ataman told The Associated Press. The coach added that the team couldn't make an offer to Bryant without securing a sponsorship in order to afford him.
If Bryant does indeed play overseas, it'll undoubtedly be the most impactful effect of the NBA lockout. There's really been no comparisons over on the NFL side of lockout land. Could you imagine Peyton Manning suiting up for the Frankfurt Galaxy of the now-defunct NFL Europe? How about Derek Jeter wearing any jersey that isn't property of the Yankees?
Besiktas is the same team that signed Deron Williams this month and Allen Iverson last year.
Bryant himself hasn't mentioned Besiktas specifically, but he did say that China and Turkey remained possibilities when speaking in Shanghai this week, according to the report.
Photo of the day
Can you picture Kobe in anything other than a Lakers jersey?
Quote of the day
"I think it's wimping out, making football more soft. No reason to try and make camp easy."
–Bart Scott, to the Newark Star-Ledger, regarding the possibility of removing two-a-days from training camp
Tweet of the day
The world needs more day baseball.
Video of the day
With temperatures approaching 100 degrees in Boston on Thursday, perhaps many of you should follow this dog's lead.
