54 replies to this topic

[SaintNicholasVanExel]

ken, i know anything is possible, but KOBE AINT LEAVING THIS TEAM, so no worries.

maybe, but how soon we forget summer '07.

[Icker]

ken, i know anything is possible, but KOBE AINT LEAVING THIS TEAM, so no worries. I believe Kobe will judge strictly based on what is around him, for example if he feels LO should stay along with Ariza getting paid, he MIGHT consider a paycut...but if he feels like anybody is replaceable alongas its him and the 2 BIGS, well then, he will be significantly richer

I think he could, either to NY, Chicago, or Philli. One of those teams are going to have space and would challenge us for Kobe once his contract expires. So don't be so confident about that. Didn't we once before stoled a franchise player in Fa?

[kobynum]

I think he could, either to NY, Chicago, or Philli. One of those teams are going to have space and would challenge us for Kobe once his contract expires. So don't be so confident about that. Didn't we once before stoled a franchise player in Fa?

wow i didnt consider that, he is really leaving, well i guess we better enjoy him now

[lakerfool]

He shouldn't take a pay cut. He deserves to be paid what he's worth. And neither would I take a pay cut. If Kobe were to have a career ending injury, would the Lakers go 'Wow, he contributed a lot, lets still pay him anyways!' No. This is a business.

I admire guys like Tim Duncan for taking pay cuts, but I still think it is stupid.

[kobynum]

He shouldn't take a pay cut. He deserves to be paid what he's worth. And neither would I take a pay cut. If Kobe were to have a career ending injury, would the Lakers go 'Wow, he contributed a lot, lets still pay him anyways!' No. This is a business.

I admire guys like Tim Duncan for taking pay cuts, but I still think it is stupid.

plus as great as tim duncan is, he doesnt pack "stadiums", like Kobe. He was selling out Staples with horrible teammates. I mean people want to see ariza, and Pau and Sasha, but a few years ago, people hated most of the other teammates, my point is he makes the NBA a lot of money, it would be irresponsible of him as a (black) business man to leave money on the table when his dad comes from the slums of Killadelphia, and there are so few elite black business men in America

[lakerfool]

Yup. Why let Buss get all the money? If you're the one bringing in the revenue, you should get it.

[Jeffs]

Kobe won't, and he shouldn't. Doing so won't put the Lakers under the cap - all it'll do is allow Buss to save money. Perhaps there are some truly selfless people that would take a paycut, but I guess I'm not one of them. When you have a job, you do whatever you can to get promoted and earn a higher salary. That's what Kobe has done. Why should he accept a lower salary now?

We can talk all day about how some players do it for the love of the game. If there was no NBA, perhaps Kobe really would play pickup ball every day because he loves the game, but he definitely wouldn't be playing in a league full-time for free. His desire to win a ring is as high as anyone's, but let's be real here... he and every other NBA player are in the league because they are getting paid. Who is to say how much is "enough" for him?

[phifedogg76]

i dont know why you guys always compare the nba to a "working mans job", in our professions, when you get older you usually make more money past 35 years old, whereas nba, you definite worth to your team when youre 35 usually declines .... imo, i dont think kobe "NEEDS" to take a paycut because hes worth every penny, but if the lakers dont have enough money to keep this core together and we dont end up winning it all .... then itll be on him because he COULD HAVE taken a paycut, kept this core together, and then most likely have gotten better teammates due to having extra space under the cap or something to that effect

[Jeffs]

i dont know why you guys always compare the nba to a "working mans job", in our professions, when you get older you usually make more money past 35 years old, whereas nba, you definite worth to your team when youre 35 usually declines .... imo, i dont think kobe "NEEDS" to take a paycut because hes worth every penny, but if the lakers dont have enough money to keep this core together and we dont end up winning it all .... then itll be on him because he COULD HAVE taken a paycut, kept this core together, and then most likely have gotten better teammates due to having extra space under the cap or something to that effect

Couple of points:

1) Even if Kobe does take a slight paycut, the Lakes won't have space to 'sign' anyone. They're way over the cap. Unless Kobe opts out and takes the vet. min., they're not going to be under the cap anytime soon, especially with Bynum's contract about to kick in. The only impact Kobe's paycut has is on whether Dr. Buss decides to RE-SIGN some of the current players. Now, if this is the case, then...

2) Why is it on Kobe to take a paycut to keep the team together? Why does he have to settle for less money? Why not Dr. Buss? Just because a couple of people in NBA history have taken paycuts doesn't mean that Kobe should be expected to. It certainly doesn't mean that "it'll be on him" because he didn't take a paycut if the Lakers end up not winning.

I don't think anyone would say it's Dr. Buss' fault. Why, then, would it be Kobe's?

[phifedogg76]

Couple of points:

1) Even if Kobe does take a slight paycut, the Lakes won't have space to 'sign' anyone. They're way over the cap. Unless Kobe opts out and takes the vet. min., they're not going to be under the cap anytime soon, especially with Bynum's contract about to kick in. The only impact Kobe's paycut has is on whether Dr. Buss decides to RE-SIGN some of the current players. Now, if this is the case, then...

2) Why is it on Kobe to take a paycut to keep the team together? Why does he have to settle for less money? Why not Dr. Buss? Just because a couple of people in NBA history have taken paycuts doesn't mean that Kobe should be expected to. It certainly doesn't mean that "it'll be on him" because he didn't take a paycut if the Lakers end up not winning.

I don't think anyone would say it's Dr. Buss' fault. Why, then, would it be Kobe's?

1) a couple? there have been a ton of paycuts in nba history, many already listed and as a matter of fact magic took one as well, a majority of them made their teams better

2) i already stated kobe "deserves" the money . ........... but in terms of salary cap, assuming odom and mihm leave, there will be a HUGE difference between him taking a measly $18 per year paycut to him having $25-$30 per year when we would have $51 million in salary (not including his salary and assuming we make no trades)

3) the "fault" will be blamed by the media and a ton of other kobe "haters", especially if they win it all this year and not the upcoming years ... doing the opposite would help his current image since its been slightly improving since last year and team usa

4) buss has been blamed A TON of times, some here, more at lakersground, and especially on CL

[netlord]

We cannot answer this question, because we are not earning no where near what Kobe earns. All this shouldn't, wouldn't, we cannot say.
If he took a paycut the only sacrifice he would have to do is decide to go with a normal set of wheels on a Phantom instead of diamond coated ones. He isn't going to starve, and he won't have to move out. His kids are served for life, living with everything available to man, as long as they don't go to Vegas and waste it all....
BUT, if this doesn't help cap space, it doesn't matter what he does.

Edited by netlord, January 05, 2009 - 02:22 AM.

[fido]

At your job - if the boss came in and asked you to take a pay cut so the company can be more successful would you?

I would venture to say virtually nobody would do it. Put this kind of question in terms of your own job.

Kobe's done the Lakers real well, he deserves to be the highest paid player in the league (as the best player on the planet should be). Does pay make a successful career? no, it doesn't. But the guy should be paid accordingly for everything he's done for the franchise over the years. Guaranteed that the money he's generated for the Lakers (and the NBA in general) is far greater than any salary he could pull down.

[SaintNicholasVanExel]

as i pointed out in my analysis of home values to salary, comparing a civilian job to playing nba basketball is completely irrelevant.

discretionary income is what it all comes down to and if we could somehow find a way to calculate it and adjust it to the lifestyle of an endorsement-heavy super-star athlete like Kobe, we would see the difference. all that said, i'm in full support of a man's quest for his cheddar.

[Ken #1 Beloved]

If anyone is concerned about the Lakers ability to sign Kobe to a max extension and sign Ariza and even LO for that matter, just read this. I'm sure the Buss family can stomach making a slightly less profit, even after the luxury tax, if they have to. http://latimesblogs....mics-101-i.html

[Master Zen]

1) Even if Kobe does take a slight paycut, the Lakes won't have space to 'sign' anyone. They're way over the cap. Unless Kobe opts out and takes the vet. min., they're not going to be under the cap anytime soon, especially with Bynum's contract about to kick in. The only impact Kobe's paycut has is on whether Dr. Buss decides to RE-SIGN some of the current players. Now, if this is the case, then...

2) Why is it on Kobe to take a paycut to keep the team together? Why does he have to settle for less money? Why not Dr. Buss? Just because a couple of people in NBA history have taken paycuts doesn't mean that Kobe should be expected to. It certainly doesn't mean that "it'll be on him" because he didn't take a paycut if the Lakers end up not winning.

agree on this two points