Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. (Photo : Getty Images)
Latest reports of an NBA executive saying that Los Angeles Clippers boss Doc Rivers could pursue their Staples Center co-tenant Kobe Bryant next year when he becomes an unrestricted free agent are abuzz at the moment.
Bryant, 37 and currently in the final year of his two-year, $48.5 million contract with the Lakers, had hinted that 2015-2016 might be his last season in the NBA. Many league personalities, including his former championship coach Phil Jackson, believe that he will play on but may not actually be with the Showtime squad per se.
The Black Mamba was adamant that he will play with no other team except the Lakers, though, as per Bleacher Report.
"A lot of players want to go to different teams or contend to win championships. I'm a Laker, man. I'm a Laker for better or worse," Bryant said when recently asked if there is a possibility of switching teams. "I'm a Laker, man. How many times do I have to say that? Dude, I bleed purple and gold."
However, a recent ESPN report mentioned that one league exec said Rivers could possibly try to reel in the five-time NBA champion and 20-year veteran next summer because of the coach's "willingness to show up his fellow Staples Center residents" and to "sell a couple more suites."
Bryant's brand and star power could indeed lure more earning potential for the Clips, but the real question is will Kobe accept playing second or third fiddle behind Chris Paul and Blake Griffin at this late stage of his career where he is so used to being the alpha?
