repost?
https://247sports.com/nba/golden-st...de-a-pitch-to-him-for-NBA-comeback-119006082/
Could Kobe Bryant have added to his NBA title collection over the past two seasons?
During a recent interview that the Los Angeles Lakers legend did with Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype, the 39-year-old basketball great discussed whether or not he'll ever make a basketball comeback and if any teams had reached out to him about doing so. Kennedy asks Bryant at one point during the interview if any teams had talked to him about making a comeback since his retirement in 2016 and this is what the five-time champion had to say regarding the subject:
Alex Kennedy: You had your retirement tour and you went out with the storybook ending, scoring 60 points in your final game. But NBA executives often try to lure stars out of retirement because they’re trying to improve their roster. For example, the 2007-08 Boston Celtics tried to sign Reggie Miller after he’d been out of the NBA for two years. Did any teams reach out to you to ask about a potential comeback?
KB:No, not seriously (laughs). I’ve knownBob Myers, the general manager of the Warriors, forever. Like, I remember the day he was going to go take his bar exam! We used to hang out together all the time. At my last All-Star Game, we had a chance to catch up. We were staying in the same hotel and I had a chance to tell him congratulations on everything. Then, he said, “Hey listen, if there’s any chance you want to change your mind and come back and play another year, you can always come over here [to Golden State].” But it’s all tongue-in-cheek, man.
Bryant obviously notes that this was "tongue-in-cheek," but let's be real—if Bryant was serious about making a comeback over the past two seasons, the Warriors would have loved to sign him to fill out their bench. When you factor in how their core players such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant openly looked up to the former NBA MVP growing up, it would have been a no-brainer signing.
Do you really think the Warriors would have chosen Damian Jones or Omri Casspi for a roster spot over Kobe? I think not.
Obviously, Kobe wouldn't have been the main guy or even a main guy on these Warriors title-winning teams, so Bryant was obviously immediately dismissive of it. But don't think for one second Bob Myers wouldn't have signed the five-time champion to a veteran's minimum contract if he was open to it.
As far as Bryant ever playing professional basketball again, the topic of Ice Cube's BIG3 League came up. Kennedy asked Bryant if he was open to playing in the league and the Lakers great shot down that question real quick:
Kennedy: Do you have any interest in playing in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league at some point?
KB:No. (Long pause)
Kennedy: No interest?
KB:No. Cube is a good friend of mine and he’s asked me repeatedly, but the answer is always going to be no.
We'll never see Bryant on the basketball court again, but we can always watch the 20 years worth of highlights he produced to entertain us moving forward.
https://247sports.com/nba/golden-st...de-a-pitch-to-him-for-NBA-comeback-119006082/
Could Kobe Bryant have added to his NBA title collection over the past two seasons?
During a recent interview that the Los Angeles Lakers legend did with Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype, the 39-year-old basketball great discussed whether or not he'll ever make a basketball comeback and if any teams had reached out to him about doing so. Kennedy asks Bryant at one point during the interview if any teams had talked to him about making a comeback since his retirement in 2016 and this is what the five-time champion had to say regarding the subject:
Alex Kennedy: You had your retirement tour and you went out with the storybook ending, scoring 60 points in your final game. But NBA executives often try to lure stars out of retirement because they’re trying to improve their roster. For example, the 2007-08 Boston Celtics tried to sign Reggie Miller after he’d been out of the NBA for two years. Did any teams reach out to you to ask about a potential comeback?
KB:No, not seriously (laughs). I’ve knownBob Myers, the general manager of the Warriors, forever. Like, I remember the day he was going to go take his bar exam! We used to hang out together all the time. At my last All-Star Game, we had a chance to catch up. We were staying in the same hotel and I had a chance to tell him congratulations on everything. Then, he said, “Hey listen, if there’s any chance you want to change your mind and come back and play another year, you can always come over here [to Golden State].” But it’s all tongue-in-cheek, man.
Bryant obviously notes that this was "tongue-in-cheek," but let's be real—if Bryant was serious about making a comeback over the past two seasons, the Warriors would have loved to sign him to fill out their bench. When you factor in how their core players such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant openly looked up to the former NBA MVP growing up, it would have been a no-brainer signing.
Do you really think the Warriors would have chosen Damian Jones or Omri Casspi for a roster spot over Kobe? I think not.
Obviously, Kobe wouldn't have been the main guy or even a main guy on these Warriors title-winning teams, so Bryant was obviously immediately dismissive of it. But don't think for one second Bob Myers wouldn't have signed the five-time champion to a veteran's minimum contract if he was open to it.
As far as Bryant ever playing professional basketball again, the topic of Ice Cube's BIG3 League came up. Kennedy asked Bryant if he was open to playing in the league and the Lakers great shot down that question real quick:
Kennedy: Do you have any interest in playing in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league at some point?
KB:No. (Long pause)
Kennedy: No interest?
KB:No. Cube is a good friend of mine and he’s asked me repeatedly, but the answer is always going to be no.
We'll never see Bryant on the basketball court again, but we can always watch the 20 years worth of highlights he produced to entertain us moving forward.
