(Image source: The Urban Daily)

 

 

 

BY MARC STEIDLER

You're watching multisource sports video news analysis from Newsy.

 

Six hundred thousand dollars per game -- now that’s amoré. The AP is reporting NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has a $6.7 million offer to play for Virtus Bologna, an Italian team.

 

The Bay Area’s KTVU explains why the move would make sense for Kobe during the NBA’s lockout.

“Bryant happens to speak Italian -- and in fact spent part of his childhood in Italy while his father played basketball over there. The team is offering Bryant some different contract options -- including a game by game deal.”

 

But a Yahoo! basketball blogger writes Bryant has more to consider than just his own interests.

“He has a family, with kids in school, and jumping overseas would either mean leaving his family for an extended spell, or uprooting the entire clan...this is no easy task...”

But Bryant’s Italian contract would be double his per-game NBA salary. Claudio Sabatini, owner of Virtus Bologna, talked to an Italian newspaper about the cash incentives it would take to lure Bryant to his team. Sportando translates his comments.

“I can risk by my own the 50% of the total amount of money needed. For the other half, I need the help of private companies, professional associations and the municipality.”

Back in the states, more big news came out Friday as the extended lockout forced the NBA to postpone training camps and cancel the first week of preseason games. So would a potential Kobe departure speed up negotiations? ESPN’s Chris Broussard doesn’t think so.

“Overall, I don’t think it would make a huge impact on the labor negotiations. One star going over there to join Deron Williams -- it would take a lot of stars going overseas for them to really have an impact on the negotiations.”

Other notable players who have already made the jump overseas include Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, and Chris Douglas-Roberts.
 

 

 

Transcript by Newsy.