This week in Basketball- Basketball News
Kobe Bryant is near to accept the Italian team offer
Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has been offered a lucrative $6.7 million contract to play for an Italian team Virtus Bologna. The Italian pro team has approached Kobe for one season play. Besides one year deal, the team has given three other contract options, including a per-game deal. All options are non-binding and will allow Kobe to go back to the Lakers if NBA lockout ends.
Negotiations are ongoing regarding the contract between the Virtus and Kobe Bryant’s agents. Kobe Bryant is also showing the signs of willingness, he says that it‘s very possible that he will play in Italy during the NBA lockout, adding that country is like home to him since he spent his some years of childhood there.
The president of Virtus Bologna is also optimistic that Kobe Bryant will sign with the Italian club during the NBA lockout despite scheduling problems posed by other teams. President Claudio Sabatini had told an Italian radio station on Friday the deal was 95 percent done. Bryant would be paid $3 million for the opening 35 to 40 days of the Italian league season-for about 10 games. Bologna wants to have the deal signed by the end of next week to register Bryant with the Italian league before the season gets start. The team has requested to play five of its opening 10 games at home, but a few other teams don’t want to change their schedules to accommodate the Los Angeles Lakers’ star.
Warriors hire former suns executive Rick Welts as president and chief operating officer
Golden State Warriors have hired Rick Welts as president and chief operating officer as a replacement of Robert Rowell, who resigned in June as the club’s top executive for business operations. The 58-year-old Welts, joined the Suns in 2002 as president and had the additional post of CEO the past two seasons. He left both positions earlier in September for personal reasons. Rick Welts has 36 years NBA experience, he reckons the new job a golden opportunity and says “It’s hard to express how excited I am to embrace this opportunity and be part of a collective group in building the Warriors into a championship caliber organization”.
Pistons player Ben Wallace faces drunken driving and pistol charges
Detroit Pistons center-forward Ben Wallace has been charged for drunken driving and carrying a concealed weapon. He was arrested by the Bloomfield Township police on suspicion of intoxicated driving early Saturday morning. Police pulled over Wallace’s vehicle on a traffic stop for erratic driving; they also found an unloaded pistol in a backpack. If convicted, he faces up to 93 days in jail for driving offence and five years in prison on the weapon charge. The veteran is released on a $5,000 personal bond. On Monday, he is expected to appear before District judge for a pre-examination conference.
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