Kobe's Choice: Lakers
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers16jul16,1,3908345.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers
Kobe Bryant will remain a Laker.
The six-time All-Star notified the organization today that he would accept its
seven-year, $136-million offer, ultimately choosing the familiarity of the
Lakers over the novelty of the Clippers.
Four weeks after Coach Phil Jackson was told he would not be back and a day
after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, Bryant chose to rejoin a
Laker team that reached the NBA Finals four times in the past five years, won
three championships and then decided to rebuild.
Rudy Tomjanovich replaced Jackson. Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler
were acquired for O'Neal. And, as owner Jerry Buss, General Manager Mitch
Kupchak and a city's basketball fans held their breaths, Bryant, 25, opted to
continue as the future of the franchise.
Bryant will stand trial for felony sexual assault beginning Aug. 27 in Eagle,
Colo. If found guilty, he could serve four years to life. In that event, the
Lakers would not be liable for the entirety of the contract, and NBA sources
have said the league would not allow a deal in which Bryant was paid if in
prison.
The trial is expected to last three to six weeks. NBA training camps open
around Oct. 1.
The Lakers have been steadfast in their support of Bryant, who routinely missed
practices and other team events because of pretrial hearings. They shared the
cost of private jets that brought Bryant to and from those hearings in
Colorado.
Team officials, including Buss, have voiced their support for Bryant, who
despite the pending trial, was courted by a handful of teams. The Denver
Nuggets, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks, along with the Lakes and Clippers,
met with Bryant in the past two weeks.
Buss said this week that Bryant being unable to play next season or beyond
because of his legal issues had never been discussed.
"That's never really gone through my mind," Buss said. "I have trouble
believing that won't work out well for him."
Despite the apparent distractions, Bryant averaged 24 points and 5.1 assists on
a team thick with talent.
Staples Center and the Lakers split the cost of a page in Saturday's Miami
Herald to thank O'Neal for his eight years in Los Angeles.
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