It’s official: No one is a fan of Kobe Bryant’s contract.
In explaining his decision to leave Landon Donovan off the US soccer roster for the World Cup, German-born coach Jurgen Klinsmann took the opportunity to mock the Lakers for giving Bryant a two-year, $48 million extension last November.
“This always happens in America. Kobe Bryant, for example — why does he get a two-year contract extension for $50 million?” Klinsmann said, according to the New York Times.
“Because of what he is going to do in the next two years for the Lakers? Of course not. Of course not. He gets it because of what he has done before. It makes no sense. Why do you pay for what has already happened?”
Bryant, 35, signed the extension in November, while he was still recovering from a torn Achilles. Bryant returned to the court a couple of weeks later, but lasted six games before injuring his knee and missing the rest of the season. The five-time champ has been criticized far and wide for taking a contract that could hamper the rebuilding Lakers’ ability to pursue free agents this offseason.
Klinsmann has been questioned, too, for leaving the veteran Donovan — perhaps the most accomplished American player ever — off the World Cup squad. Klinsmann went on to talk about Donovan’s four months away from soccer in 2012, when he took a break from the game before returning to the MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy.
“He came back, and he was playing in MLS, and people say, ‘Oh, he’s playing well,’ but what does that really mean?” Klinsmann said. “This is where MLS hurts him. He was playing at 70 percent, 80 percent, and he was still dominant. That doesn’t help anyone. I watched the games. What was I supposed to say? That he was good? He was not good. Not then. No way. So he had to wait.”