In other sports news (NFL free agency is taking up all of the sports airways) Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant are still in talks with Turkish basketball club Besiktas about playing with the club during the NBA lockout.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that Kobe will meet with officials from Besiktas on Saturday.
“At the moment there’s a 50 percent chance that Kobe may come to Turkey,” said Seref Yalcin, head of basketball operations for Besiktas, on Tuesday. Yalcin made the comments to reporters in Turkey, according to Reuters. “Everything will be clearer after the meeting on the 30th [of July].”
The “Kobe to Turkey” talks have been going on for a month now so I’m pretty sure the folks at Besiktas are anxious to get a deal done. Oh, and they said money will not be an issue.
Yalcin later mentioned Turkish Airlines and two oil companies as potential sponsors for Bryant’s contract, which is expected to exceed $500,000 a month. Sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard earlier this month that Williams’ overall deal with Besiktas is worth $5 million. NTV Spor reported that Bryant’s camp is seeking a monthly salary of $1 million to join Williams.
If they the Besiktas can get that $1 mill a month in order expect Kobe to be suiting up for them.