Kobe Bryant asks team owners to “look in the mirror”
With the looming salary reduction next year under the new collective bargaining agreement, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant spoke for the first time, and blasted the NBA team owners.
“I think the owners need to look in the mirror,” said Bryant about the salary reductions demanded by team owners under the new CBA.
“They need to make the right judgment themselves and stop trying to force us players to be the ones to make adjustments. They’ve got to look in the mirror and decide what they want to
do with the sport, and we as employees will show up and do what we’ve got to do.”
Although Bryant will likely not be affected by the proposed $750 million to $800 million salary reduction, the 2008 Most Valuable Player said that he is going to fight for the NBA players
and superstars that will be affected by the plan. Bryant is currently under-contract until the 2013-14 season and he is set to receive $30 million in the final year of the deal.
Superstars like Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul could be affected by the potential changes and it is expected that they won’t receive new contract offers from their teams until
the new CBA is in place.
“It’s about making sure we have the best deal going forward,” said Bryant. “That’s my stance and that’s not going to change. I’m not going to waver. It’s about taking care of the generation
that’s coming after us. That is what the guys before us tried to do, and that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’m not going to waver from that.”
The uncertainty in the CBA also prompted most of the teams not to offer an extension to the players that were selected in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft, like Rodney Stuckey, Wilson
Chandler, Brandan Wright, and even first-overall pick, Greg Oden.
Among the 2007 first-round draftees, only Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Mike Conley, and Jared Dudley received contract extensions from their respective teams before the 1 November
deadline.
Tags: