LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles Lakers just announced a three-year contract extension with Kobe Bryant. This is the companion piece to a four-year extension for Pau Gasol announced in December, 2009.

The Lakers press release quoted General Manager Mitch Kupchak as saying:

” Kobe has been a cornerstone of the Lakers for well over a decade…and in the process developing into one of the greatest players in basketball history.”

The lack of an extension for Bryant was creeping back into sports analysts’ conversation as a result of the Lakers’ uneven performance since the All-Star game (13-8), most particularly the just concluded 2-3 road trip.

The level of uncertainty rose a bit more after coach Phil Jackson’s mysterious comments about returning next season. Kobe’s return was rumored to be tied to Jackson’s only adding to the paranoia of Lakers fans.

Despite Kobe being as clear as he could be after the team won the 2009 NBA Championship, the anxiety in Los Angeles was fueled by the memory of that horrible time in the summer of 2007 when Kobe demanded a trade.

Bryant told the assembled 100,000 people at the Lakers victory celebration last June, when asked if he was going to re-sign with the team: “Where am I going to go? This is my home.”

The team now has four of its starting five signed through the 2012 season. Ron Artest took a multi-year deal last summer and Andrew Bynum was given his big money contract at the beginning of the 2008 season.

Sixth man, Lamar Odom is under contract for the same time period after last summer’s mysterious standoff.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

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