Kobe Bryant Not Interested In Hometown Discounts
- Updated: November 22, 2014
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Kobe Bryant told the media yesterday he is not interested in accepting/taking hometown discount deals such as the one Dirk Nowitzki has at the Dallas Mavericks.
“It’s the popular thing to do,” Bryant said after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ shootaround prior to Friday night’s 140-106 loss to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks. “The player takes less, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think it’s a big coup for the owners to put players in situations where public perception puts pressure on them to take less money. Because if you don’t, then you get criticized for it.
“It’s absolutely brilliant, but I’m not going for it. I know the new head of the players’ association ain’t going for it, either.”
What does Bryant think about Nowitzki, who has never used an agent, taking such a steep hometown discount?
“I think it means he’s not playing in Los Angeles,” Bryant said with a laugh.
Kobe signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension with the Lakers last season, after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. The deal is for less than Bryant was eligible to make on a maximum contract but still makes him the highest-paid player in the league.
Owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban said Nowitzki’s knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement and his desire to play for a contender were the biggest deciders in determining the size of his contract, not public perception.
“First of all, not every player in the NBA, not every owner in the NBA is motivated purely by money,” said Cuban, adding that fans put pressure on owners to spend every penny possible or be labeled as cheap. “If you look at our ticket prices, how many times have we lowered them? How many times have we paid the luxury tax? How many times have I told you guys, ‘I don’t care if we lose money, I want to win’? You know my motivations, and I think Dirk’s motivations are similar.”
Kobe Bryant closed the interview with this:
“This is a business, and you have to look at individuals and what they generate and the market that they’re generating revenue in. And you can’t separate those. People have a hard time separating that stuff. From a business perspective, you have to take that stuff into account and you have to try to, as a player, be in situations where it can be a win-win for everybody.
“So did I take a discount? Yeah. Did I take as big a discount as some of you fans would want me to? No. Is it a big enough discount to help us be a contender? Yeah. So what we try to do is be in a situation where they take care of the player and the player takes care of the organization enough to put us in a championship predicament eventually.”
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