NBA Rumors: Phil Jackson says Los Angeles Lakers overpaid for Kobe Bryant
By Josh Hill
The Los Angeles Lakers like to throw money around much like the New York Yankees used to back in the early 2000s, but they went above and beyond in epitomizing the idea of throwing money around this summer. The Lakers handed Kobe Bryant a gigantic two-year extension that saw the team give an aged and injured Kobe $48.5 million.
Kobe’s former head coach Phil Jackson has now commented on the contract and stated that while he believes Kobe belongs in Los Angeles, the front office paid more than he would have to keep him in town.
On NBA TV, Phil Jackson says he agreed with extending Kobe for two years but that the Lakers “paid him more than I would have gone for.“
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 30, 2014
Jackson isn’t wrong, as almost everyone in the NBA raised an eyebrow when the deal was handed out to Kobe. It’s the Lakers money though, which means they can do with it what they want. If they want to keep it and go after free agents in 2015 and 2016, than that’s fine. If they want to throw almost $50 million at a guy who has played less than 10 games this season and has had two major lower body injuries in a calendar year, then that’s their decision to make.
It’s obviously not the one Phil Jackson would have made though.