According to Sonny Vacarro and posted by SB Nation: Los Angeles, it appears as if Lakers guard Kobe Bryant might not be playing in Europe next season after all. In fact, he might take his talents to Asia. To be more specific, China.
There were early reports that Bryant would head to Turkey to play with Besiktas, but those reports were eventually denied by Bryant’s camp.
Vacarro states that Bryant, if the NBA lockout continues, could head to China. And what’s more interesting is that Nike could be paying the bill.
This move seems to make more sense than Bryant playing in Turkey next season, despite the fact that fellow NBA All-Star Deron Williams has already reached an agreement to play with Besiktas next year.
It’s no secret that Bryant is a mega-star in China, as was evident during his time in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. Bryant also visits China every off-season to promote his personal brand, and Nike.
Nike has been trying to get a stranglehold on the world market ever since basketball became a truly global sport during the last decade. China is without question the biggest potential market on the planet, and Nike would love to place one of their biggest stars over there on a more permanent basis.