Kobe Bryant could still move to Turkish basketball club Besiktas – NBA Update
About a week back, Los Angeles Lakers ace player, Kobe Bryant was reported to be in line for a move to Turkish club Besiktas, but the rumours died down a little as Bryant headed to a tour of China. However, the whispers have picked
up over the last few days and now the Turkish club have confirmed that talks are going on between the two parties.
"It is a fact that Kobe Bryant's managers have contacted us," Besiktas head coach Ergin Ataman said on Thursday.
The principle blocking point for the move is considered to be Kobe’s salary demands. The European teams do not have the financial resources to pay the lavish salaries that the NBA players are used to. Besiktas want Kobe to take
$450,000 to $500,000 a month but the player wants his salary to be around the $1 million a month mark. That will still be a big pay cut for Kobe Bryant considered to the super star’s contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA.
When asked about the contract situation, the coach said that was a matter for the board to decide and he did could not comment on it,
"Our board will evaluate that," Ataman said.
It has since been revealed that the Turkish club are looking at different sponsors and/or investors to come in and finance the move for Kobe Bryant. Bryant has a lucrative sponsorship contract with Turkish Airlines and some commentators
believe they could play a part.
Besiktas’ own finances have been hit hard because of a football match fixing scandal that has upturned the Turkish sports landscape. Besiktas run a football operation as well and they have been implicated in the scandal, with reports
coming out that the club’s bank accounts could have been frozen by the authorities.
Bryant has shown a willingness to go and play overseas and only recently stated his desire to do so. He is believed to be coveted by a number of teams in Europe and could even play in China, where he is one the biggest sporting
figures. However, there are unlikely to be many teams with the finances required to pay the star player.
If Besiktas do end up getting Kobe Bryant, it would be their second scalp this month. The club have already agreed a deal, believed to be worth around $5 million overall, for New Jersey Nets star Deron Williams to represent the
side next season. Williams’s contract does contain a get out clause, put in place for the eventuality that the NBA lockout might end, in which case Williams will return to the U.S.A. to play for the New Jersey Nets.
Besiktas have a history of luring American basketball players. Iconic NBA star Allan Iverson played for them only last season. If Kobe makes it to Istanbul, it will certainly be a huge landmark for them.
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