According to NBC Sports Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was close to signing a deal with the Turkish professional team Besitkas before news of their match-fixing scandal broke.
Jonathan Givony from Draft Express is reporting that Besitkas was nearing a deal for Bryant that would be worth an estimated $450,000 a month. This is the same Turkish team that recently signed New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams, who is making a reported $200,000 a month from the Turkish team.
However, news of their match-fixing scandal and subsequent account freezing means the likelihood of signing mega-star Bryant is remarkably dim.
If Bryant did sign with Besitkas he would share the backcourt with Williams, which is something all basketball fans would enjoy. But it seems as if Bryant will look to distance himself from the scandal and may look elsewhere for a contract if the NBA lockout continues into the scheduled regular season.
