Kobe says his contract "won't be an issue" and Phil says not to compare him to Red

June 13, 4:42 PMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Bryant during press conference June 13, 2009. AP/Mark Duncan

After media members have been in Orlando for almost a week to cover the NBA Finals they start to run out of things to ask the players or coaches between games.

After all, there is the immediate post-game gathering, the next day's after-practice session and the following day it's game time again with pre-game Q&A.

And today, during the only two-day break between games, there was yet another chance to get information from the principals. The players and coaches look tired of facing the same people and sometimes their tone of voice makes that clear.

But think about reporters who have to refresh their questions, try and ask them in a way that will elicit breaking news and know they are just recycling the same facts.

Not today. At Saturday's mid-day presser both Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant gave the assembled crowd something to use as a headline.

Phil said it wasn't fair to compare him to Red Auerbach. Expecting the usual "Red is God" careful answer I was flabbergasted to hear Phil say that Red's era was so different that comparisons are worthless.

He didn't mention the obvious reasons: the salary cap and free-agency. But he did say that the league had one-third the teams it has now and by the time you played your playoff opponent you knew each other very well. He also mentioned how Red handed Bill Russell the keys to the franchise and the team never missed a beat. It ended in Russell winning the championship as a coach/player. Meow.

Then it was Kobe's turn at the microphone and a very tentative question was posed to him about whether he has given thought to how he'll handle the issue of the opt-out possibility afforded him under this contract. He wanted to know why anyone thought that would be an issue at all. Really?

Just to be certain the assembled media had actually heard what they thought they heard, a more direct question was posed by the intrepid Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. Could he see himself in any other uniform next year? Bryant was unequivocal. He just said "no".

The option allows him to re-negotiate this summer and get a raise or potentially take a cut to help the team re-sign both Ariza and Odom. It also allows him to refrain from taking any action this summer and wait until after next season to deal with what he says, "won't be an issue". So that means there is no parking lot rant in the near future? I guess not.

 For more info: Lakers Examiner, Colin Ward-Henninger has more, here    

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