Greek team prepared to make big offer to Kobe?
SportsByBrooks has a post about the Greek franchise Olympiacos (who recently poached Josh Childress from the Hawks) and how they want to sign Kobe to a big deal.
Guess what? It appears that Olympiacos is, in fact, serious, as reports are surfacing that the club is preparing an offer for Kobe Bryant. We’re talking 60 million Euro (about $83 million right now) over 3 years. THE HOOP has more details on the perks of the contract, and they are pretty damned nice:
In that contract there will be an incredible list of benefits, a villa in the Mediterranean Sea, pay all the taxes at the expense of the club, to pay the bills for the staff and for a private boat for Kobe Bryant. The article also says that they are planning to form Olympiakos into an NBA style club with a court that fits 15-20 thousand seats and a private jet for the team.
This is an interesting story, no doubt, but I don’t think Kobe is going anywhere. He wants to win a ring without Shaq and he’ll keep trying until he retires.
Besides, if the US Dollar EVER gains back its strength against the Euro, there is no way that these European clubs will be able to offer up enough scratch to get a star to make the jump.
“Besides, if the US Dollar EVER gains back its strength against the Euro, there is no way that these European clubs will be able to offer up enough scratch to get a star to make the jump”.
This will never happen you ignorant jackass…Europe is getting stronger economicaly than US. Face it, Basketball will be globalized
Wow, Angelopoulos, tell me how you really feel.
Are you saying there is zero chance that the US Dollar will regain its strength against the Euro? Only ignorant people speak in absolutes. I made a clear IF/THEN statement – IF the Dollar gains strength against the Euro, THEN European clubs won’t be able to sign the likes of Kobe.
Right now, according to the article, the exchange rate is around 1.38. If that drops to 1.20, suddenly the $83 M offer is $72 M. Kobe can get a three-year $60 M deal in the NBA. Why would he want to play overseas under that scenario?
Certainly if the Euro continues to get stronger against the Dollar, the buying power of the European teams is going to continue to increase, but there’s no guarantee the recent run up is going to continue.
Europe will be competitive with players like Josh Childress, a restricted free agent who was taken for granted by his club. I don’t think too many other NBA franchises will make the same mistake.
Well, you have to see that Angelopoulos is a Greek name, and the Greeks are used to blowing smoke up the A**.
Olympiakos may be able to pull down Childress, but it’s a shame that someone with Kobe’s talent would even consider coming to Greece with all of it’s transportation strikes, garbage everywhere, and rampant anti-Americanism.
Plus, these little backyard stadiums that Greek teams play in cannot compare to the GW Forum, Staples Center etc..
Finally, Greeks behave like animals when it comes to their fan behavior. They throw coins, they attack players after the game when they don’t do well, etc..
Kobe wouldn’t unplug his nose to consider Greece, and thank God for that!