Bryant to stay in L.A.
Published Thursday July 2nd, 2009
LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant insisted his contract status wouldn't be an issue, and he was right.
Now the Los Angeles Lakers can turn their attention to some NBA champion teammates.
Bryant chose not to terminate the final two years of his contract and will remain with the Lakers, the team he wanted to leave just two summers ago.
Team spokesman John Black confirmed Bryant's decision Wednesday. The MVP of the NBA finals had until Tuesday to become an unrestricted free agent, but downplayed questions about his future plans throughout the Lakers' five-game victory over Orlando.
Now the Lakers and Bryant's agent will negotiate a contract extension. If they somehow cannot agree, he would earn US$23 million next season and could opt out next June.
However, Bryant has spent his entire 13-year career with the team, winning four NBA championships and on June 19 he said, "I'm not going anywhere. I know I ain't going nowhere, so it's just a waste of our breaths just talking about it."
He considered leaving in 2004, weighing an offer to join the Clippers before re-signing with the Lakers. When the Lakers struggled in the following years, Bryant said he wanted to be traded after a first-round loss in the 2007 playoffs.
Instead, the Lakers kept Bryant and strengthened the team around him - and now need to find a way to keep the core of that group together.
Bryant has urged the Lakers to bring back unrestricted free agent forwards Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, who played key roles in the team's recent run to its 15th NBA title.
Ariza made $3.1 million last season and his play in the finals against Orlando is expected to earn him a major pay raise. Odom made $14.1 million last season and is expected to have to take a substantial pay cut to stay.
Guard Shannon Brown is the Lakers' third unrestricted free agent. He made $796,000 last season after coming over with Adam Morrison in the February trade that sent Vladimir Radmanovic to Charlotte.
Ex-Raptor Williams joins Toronto coaching staff
TORONTO - Former Toronto point guard Alvin Williams is officially back in the Raptors' fold.
The Raptors added Williams and Francesco Cuzzolin to their basketball staff Wednesday, and re-signed assistant coach Eric Hughes.
The trio join assistants Marc Iavaroni, Alex English and Micah Nori on head coach Jay Triano's staff.
Williams, who's been working with the team while his contract was being ironed out, makes his first foray into coaching since retiring from playing in 2007.
One of the most beloved Raptors of all time, Williams played nine seasons with the team, averaging 9.9 points and 4.3 assists in 417 regular-season games, and 12.5 points and 4.3 assists in 78 playoff appearances.
One of Williams' most memorable moments was in Toronto's Game 5 victory over the New York Knicks in 2001, when he scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Raptors to their lone playoff series victory.
Williams will act as assistant coach/basketball development.
Hughes returns for his third season with the club, and his first as assistant coach/basketball development. He spent the past two seasons as a basketball development consultant.
Cuzzolin was named the team's strength and conditioning coach, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the professional basketball ranks.
Cuzzolin spent 12 of the past 13 seasons with Benetton Treviso in the Italian Serie A League where his teams won the Italian League, Italian Supercup or European Saprta cup on 10 occasions. He also captured the Euroleague championship with Virtus Bologna in 2001.
For the past three summers Cuzzolin has been the strength and conditioning coach for the Russian national team. He's also worked with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers during their summer training camps.
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