• Home
  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More
  • Contact

Grimag

  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More

Kobe Bryant to Virtus Bologna: The plot thickens

September 27, 2011

Sabatini, the deal maker

While Kobe Bryant reportedly has refused any offer from Italian club Virtus Bologna that does not entail him (theoretically) playing with the team for the entire 2011-12 season, Bologna management appears to be clearing a path to make such a signing possible.

The big news in this direction early this week is twofold: Firstly, Virtus club president Claudio Sabatini has confirmed that a sponsorship deal to pay a multi-million euro salary – an arrangement which the sanctioned Beşiktaş worked in order to pay Deron Williams’ Continent-high contract – to the Los Angeles Laker is in place. “We have a sponsor supporting us,” stated Sabatini on Sunday. “It’s an Italian company that’s known all over the world.” (Hmmm, BiE doesn’t suppose that’s Armani…)

Of course, a bit of a snag hits here, as the sponsorship deal may have been made in the framework of Sabatini’s original offer, which began at $600,000 for a single game and extended to $3 million for the season; ESPN later reported that a $6.7 million pitch (just under €5 million by today’s exchange rate) had been made to Kobe, but at least one website today claims that Bryant has shot back with a call for *$15 million* to play the season in Bologna.

Perhaps more compellingly – or perhaps merely representing an investment – is the rumor that Kobe is reportedly seeking to buy a house in Montecalvo, leading to the natural speculation that he could well be moving there soon.

Kobe in Italy? Whoa. The only problem for most basketball fans, of course, is the fact that Bologna will not be playing in any pan-European competitions in 2011-12 (not even the FIBA Eurochallenge!) and thus will be difficult to find on all but the biggest network-grabbing satellite dishes.

Either way for his sake, let’s hope Kobe finds house-hunting in Montecalvo a tad easier than it reportedly is in Tuscany.

Sep 27, 2011ballineurope
Powered by Sidelines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
This post was published on September 27, 2011
Top salaries in European basketball, 2011-12D-Will goes for 15 points, 9 assists in Beşiktaş’ 78-70 Eurocup QR win over Dexia Mons-Hainaut
You Might Also Like
 
European basketball: "something between college basketball and NBA"
 
One thing you didn't know about Marco Belinelli
Comments: 2
  1. radallo
    12 years ago

    Errata corrige: not Montecalvo, but Montecavolo (Kobe grew up in Reggio Emilia’ surroundings)

    BIE is right in excluding Armani from the list.. if I should bet, I’d choose IMA spa

    Anyway, this issue is still Fantasybasketball… while the return of Manu Manure Maneuvre Ginobili is much more alluring..

    ReplyCancel
  2. radallo
    12 years ago

    An Italian speaking Kobe in Milan… 2-3more weeks to decide

    http://tv.repubblica.it/edizione/milano/kobe-bryant-a-milano-l-italia-e-il-mio-sogno/77038/75403?ref=HREV-5

    ReplyCancel
Pingbacks: 3
  1. BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site » Blog Archive » Revisiting the odds: Which NBA players will come to Europe for 2011-12?
    12 years ago
  2. BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site » Blog Archive » Euroleague Power Rankings: First of the Season edition
    12 years ago
  3. Kobe unlikely to play in Italy | MLB-NBA-NFL-NCAA
    12 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

ballineurope
12 years ago 5 Comments More, NBA/NCAABeşiktaş FC, Claudio Sabatini, Deron Williams, Italy, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Virtus Bologna
Recent Posts
Johnathan Motley is part of a loaded Fenerbahce roster at the disposal of Dimitris Itoudis ahead of the Euroleague Basketball season
Fenerbahce basketball look really interesting – Euroleague season preview
9 hours ago
European basketball fans always bring passion to games.
Unlocking Success in European Basketball: A Strategic Analysis
10 hours ago
Ante Zizic is back but Erdem Can has to work with a heavily changed Anadolu Efes roster for this season in Euroleague Basketball.
What to make of Anadolu Efes? – Euroleague season preview
1 day ago
Categories
Recent Posts
Irish men’s Basketball Super League preview
Fenerbahce basketball look really interesting – Euroleague season preview
Unlocking Success in European Basketball: A Strategic Analysis
Tags
EuroLeagueNBAYouTubeCSKA MoscowFC BarcelonaReal MadridFIBAOlympiacosZalgiris KaunasPanathinaikosACBSpainMaccabi Tel AvivTeam SpainRicky RubioLos Angeles LakersMontepaschi SienaLithuaniaPartizan BelgradePau GasolGermanyItalyTeam LithuaniaIrelandTurkeyTeam FranceCaja Laboral BaskoniaLietuvos RytasFenerbahce ÜlkerJuan Carlos NavarroGreeceSerbiaTony ParkerSan Antonio SpursFranceMinnesota TimberwolvesDirk Nowitzkibasketball highlightsTeam RussiaALBA BerlinTeam USAEuroBasket 2011EuroCupBrose Baskets BambergDallas Mavericks
Share
0
Facebook
ABOUT
BallinEurope.com was founded in September 2007 by Christophe Ney (who now runs the excellent scouting-themed website European Prospects) and Tobias Seitz, both then bloggers for FIBA.com with over 10 years’ worth of experience in the professional basketball world each. The mission then was to “provide a very unique perspective of Basketball in and about Europe.”
Most Commented
Why Andrei Kirilenko and CSKA Moscow must win the Euroleague
11 years ago
180 Comments
Euroleague Transfers Table 2008/2009
15 years ago
168 Comments
A week in highlights: Spanish block party, mighty Milos, Utah rap and some dude dunking in L.A.
12 years ago
139 Comments
Archives
Get In Touch

Email: emmetryan@gmail.com

Name: Emmet Ryan

2014 © BallinEurope. Join JCI Dublin