Kobe Bryant missed team shootaround earlier this morning at the Pepsi Center with gastroenteritis.

Kobe and everyones favorite Spanish rookie, Ricky Rubio, exchanged some friendly words… errr… trash talk following Sunday nights Lakers win over the Timberwolves.

Not that you haven’t already heard (#NBARank has been trending on Twitter in Los Angeles), but according to ESPN, Kobe Bryant is currently the 7th best player in the NBA.

On Wednesday morning, Kobe Bryant stopped by a UCSB classroom where he fielded some questions – specifically addressing Kwame Brown and Smush Parker – during an informal Q&A session with a group of students and their professor.

What we are learning this morning is that 95% done doesn’t guarantee a deal, and an economic deal isn’t a signed contract. There are still some major hurdles to be overcome, most importantly the refusal from certain teams to re-organize their schedules to accommodate Sabatini’s goal of having Bryant showcased in the leagued biggest arenas.

After months of speculation about whether or not Lakers guard Kobe Bryant would play overseas during the NBA lockout, a decision has finally been made. According to the Associated Press, Virtus Bologna and Bryant have verbally agreed to a contract that will pay the star guard $3 million over a span of the first 40 games of the Italian League season.

Rumor says that Bryant and his agent are focusing on a specialized offer that has him in uniform for just 10 games (10/19 – 11/16) for a reported $2.5 million.

This day 33 years ago Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest of three children and the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and new Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe “Jellybean” Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. Bryant is not over the hill just yet. If Kobe is still being [...]