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Since inking a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, Kobe Bryant has received some backlash, as some called him greedy.
He addressed the chatter from Washington DC this week , regarding the deal which allows him to maintain his superstar status through the end of his career.
"Most of us have aspirations for being businessmen when our playing careers are over," Kobe told Yahoo Sports. "But that starts now. You have to be able to wear both hats. You can't sit up there and say, 'Well, I'm going to take substantially less because there's public pressure, because all of a sudden, if you don't take less, you don't give a crap about winning. That's total bullsh**.
"I'm very fortunate to be with an organization that understands how to take care of its players, and put a great team out on the floor. They've figured out how to do both," he continued. "Most players in this league don't have that.They get stuck in a predicament -- probably intentionally done by the teams -- to force them to take less money. Meanwhile, the value of the organization goes through the roof off the backs of their quote, unquote selfless players.
"It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
Accordin to Kobe, the deal was simple. They came to him with an offer, and he took the first they gave him: "One meeting, and it was basically done."
He addressed the chatter from Washington DC this week , regarding the deal which allows him to maintain his superstar status through the end of his career.
"Most of us have aspirations for being businessmen when our playing careers are over," Kobe told Yahoo Sports. "But that starts now. You have to be able to wear both hats. You can't sit up there and say, 'Well, I'm going to take substantially less because there's public pressure, because all of a sudden, if you don't take less, you don't give a crap about winning. That's total bullsh**.
"I'm very fortunate to be with an organization that understands how to take care of its players, and put a great team out on the floor. They've figured out how to do both," he continued. "Most players in this league don't have that.They get stuck in a predicament -- probably intentionally done by the teams -- to force them to take less money. Meanwhile, the value of the organization goes through the roof off the backs of their quote, unquote selfless players.
"It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
Accordin to Kobe, the deal was simple. They came to him with an offer, and he took the first they gave him: "One meeting, and it was basically done."