By TORI ADDISON
Sports Editor
Kobe Bryant’s life just got a whole lot better, if that is even possible. As of last week he officially signed the contract that would make him a Los Angeles Laker for life. After signing a two year extension worth $48.5 million dollars, it is easy to say that he is set for the rest of his career.
First of all, if this is not a clear cut answer to when Kobe plans on retiring then I don’t know what is. This contract extension does nothing more than guarantee a smooth transition into his final season as a Laker. Lucky for him, he got away with avoiding a seriously unwanted pay cut. I guess that is what happens when you are the face of a franchise. Unfortunately, some fans are not so happy about the deal. While some say he is an obstacle to rebuilding the team, others are more concerned over his so-called selfish ways. While I do agree that it may be hard for the Lakers to work around their salary cap issues after inking such a costly contract, it should be no surprise that the franchise is doing everything possible to keep Kobe on the team. What these fans seem to be forgetting is that Kobe Bryant is the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and pretty much has been since his existence in the NBA. It would be wrong to see him play in any other jersey, especially this close to his retirement. You got to give the guy some respect; he is one of the greatest players of all time. Not to mention, getting rid of Kobe Bryant a few seasons before his retirement would be a huge slap in the face to such a monumental player. If Kobe finishes out his contract he will surpass John Stockton as the longest tenured player to stay with a single team in the history of the league. Kobe is a rare player and to be able to say he stayed on the same team his whole career is nothing short of amazing.
At this point in his career, Kobe absolutely deserves to be the highest paid player in the NBA. He only needs one more ring to tie Michael Jordan and still has two seasons left until his retirement. It may be a long shot to say that the Lakers will be contenders for another title in the near future, but you can never doubt the Black Mamba. In my opinion, he deserves every single penny from this contract extension. His killer mentality is the closest anyone has seen to Jordan’s, which is the one thing LeBron James could not even dream of contending with. Kobe’s dedication to the Lakers is one aspect of his game that seems to constantly go unnoticed by most critics. The thing that gets me is how some Laker fans are arguing that Kobe is not worth the salary extension. After all he has done for the franchise it is completely disrespectful to rant about the guy who was part of the five championship banners raised in Los Angeles over the past decade. It is not like he has been slowing down as he progresses towards the end of his career. After all, he did lead the Lakers in points per game last season with a total of 27.3. Try playing that well as a 35 year-old that has been competing in the NBA since 1996. After everything that Kobe has done for the Lakers, I think it is little more than a requirement to keep him on the team until he decides it is time for his retirement.
On the bright side, knowing when Kobe plans to end his career will give the franchise more time to think of ways to rebuild once he is gone. In short, the contract extension guarantees that Kobe will not only retire as a Laker, but also that he will never have to worry about being underpaid. When you have reached the Kobe Bryant status of playing basketball, refusing to take a pay cut has to be almost expected by general managers. After recovering from last season’s injury it is reassuring to know that Kobe expects to play for not only the remainder of this season, but also for two more after that. It is more than an accomplishment to remain on the same team throughout a player’s whole career, it is an honor. Kobe Bryant bleeds purple and gold and will continue to do so until the long awaited day that he announces his retirement from not only the NBA, but also from his cherished Lakers franchise.
