By basketball standards, Kobe Bryant, 35, is getting old. His game is slowly beginning to deteriorate and he's still working his way back from a major injury. But he remains one of the NBA's iconic players and a Lakers legend. So the Lakers signed him this week to a two-year, $48 million contract extension that will keep him with the team through 2016.
The massive sum, which will keep him as the league's highest-paid player but restrict the Lakers' ability to surround him with other elite players, was widely criticized by fans on social media. He should have volunteered to take less, many said, or the Lakers never should have offered him that much in the first place.
See also: A YouTube Legend Battles for His Basketball Future
But Bryant will have none of that. He took to Twitter on Tuesday to give fans a little lecture in NBA economics.
He started with a bit of layman's labor theory, an interesting point for someone making $30 million this season.
The cap rules players have to be "selfless" on To "help" BILLIONAIRE owners R the same cap rules the owners LOCKED US out to put in #think
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) November 27, 2013
He then implored fans to take a deeper look at the games they love.
Don't just learn ur sport .. Learn the sports industry #futureathletes
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) November 27, 2013
Finally, he defended Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and reminded everyone the team still has enough money left to sign one big name next year.
Btw lakers have max cap space and then some #mitchissharp #bussfamsharp #lakers
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) November 27, 2013
In an article on Yahoo, Bryant further explained his take on the NBA's labor structure. He said he wants to be a businessman after his career ends and making shrewd decisions starts now. He also praised the Lakers for taking care of its stars while still retaining some financial flexibility.
He continued in the article:
Most players in this league don't have that. They get stuck in a predicament — probably intentionally done by the teams — to force them to take less money. Meanwhile, the value of the organization goes through the roof off the backs of their quote, unquote selfless players.
It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Sniping from the peanut gallery aside, when someone offers you an ungodly sum of money, it's often wise to accept said offer. (Although the Snapchat guys would apparently disagree with this assessment.)
Bryant's public defense of his new deal amid declining physical performance, especially on the defensive end, led to this slam dunk of a tweet.
Kobe's campaign to justify his contract is the most defense he's played in 3 years #2014defensiveplayeroftheyear
— J. Doug Hatings (@basquiatball) November 27, 2013
Go on and drop that mic, Mr. Hatings.
BONUS: Posterized! YouTube's 12 Most Epic NBA Dunks Dunks 1. Blake Griffin on Kendrick Perkins This dunk set the Internet aflame in January. The official NBA YouTube video already has more than 5 million views. The dunk prompted Perkins to call out LeBron James in the press for tweeting the epic slam. 2. LeBron James on John Lucas The night before Griffin's monumental throw-down, James turned in a classic of his own. He cleared Bulls guard John Lucas to catch this backdoor alley-oop. 3. Dwyane Wade on Anderson Verejao A couple years ago, before he and James joined forces on the Heat, Dwyane Wade completely overwhelmed James' then-teammate, Varejao. In the immortal words of commentator Reggie Miller, "Welcome to your Kodak moment, Anderson Verejao!" 4. Baron Davis on Andrei Kirilenko This dunk will live forever in the hearts of Golden State Warriors fans. It came during the middle of the team's improbable "We Believe" playoff run in 2007. Davis' weird, belly-baring celebration, which earned him a technical foul, brings it up another notch. 5. Shaquille O'Neal on basketball hoop designers This dunk isn't technically "on" anyone, but young Shaq pulling down an entire basketball support is epic enough to make any list. As the esteemed Bill Walton would say, "Throw it down, big man!" 6. Tom Chambers on Mark Jackson Current Warriors coach Mark Jackson had a stellar playing career with several NBA teams, but he was on the receiving end of probably the greatest NBA dunk ever by a white guy. 7. Scottie Pippen on Patrick Ewing Scottie Pippen obliterated Knicks center Patrick Ewing in this 1994 dunk, and this two-minute video tells the entire story. 8. Michael Jordan on Patrick Ewing Pippen's Bulls teammate — some guy named Michael Jordan — also had a ruthless dunk over Ewing. He actually had a couple, but this one is the most savage of all. 9. John Starks on the Chicago Bulls However, Knicks guard John Starks gave the high flying Bulls a taste of their own medicine in 1993 with this lefty flush. Lore has it that Starks caught Jordan on this one, but that's debatable, at best. Check the tape and decide for yourself. 10. Allen Iverson on Marcus Camby Back in the '90s, when both still played for the teams that drafted them, tiny Allen Iverson was all like, "Marcus, this elevator goes to 10 and I'm dropping you off at 7." 11. Kevin Johnson on Hakeem Olajuwon Johnson is currently the mayor of Sacramento, Calif., but back in 1994 the short point guard did this to Hakeem Olajuwon. How many politicians can include "dunked over a Hall of Fame center" on their resumes? 12. Vince Carter on Frederic Weis We know Vince Carter's all-time classic isn't technically an NBA dunk, but it's so good we'll make an exception. Playing in the off-season for the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics, Carter cleared the 7-foot-2-inch Weis to throw it down. Homepage image: Keith Allison
This dunk set the Internet aflame in January. The official NBA YouTube video already has more than 5 million views. The dunk prompted Perkins to call out LeBron James in the press for tweeting the epic slam.
The night before Griffin's monumental throw-down, James turned in a classic of his own. He cleared Bulls guard John Lucas to catch this backdoor alley-oop.
A couple years ago, before he and James joined forces on the Heat, Dwyane Wade completely overwhelmed James' then-teammate, Varejao. In the immortal words of commentator Reggie Miller, "Welcome to your Kodak moment, Anderson Verejao!"
This dunk will live forever in the hearts of Golden State Warriors fans. It came during the middle of the team's improbable "We Believe" playoff run in 2007. Davis' weird, belly-baring celebration, which earned him a technical foul, brings it up another notch.
This dunk isn't technically "on" anyone, but young Shaq pulling down an entire basketball support is epic enough to make any list. As the esteemed Bill Walton would say, "Throw it down, big man!"
Current Warriors coach Mark Jackson had a stellar playing career with several NBA teams, but he was on the receiving end of probably the greatest NBA dunk ever by a white guy.
Scottie Pippen obliterated Knicks center Patrick Ewing in this 1994 dunk, and this two-minute video tells the entire story.
Pippen's Bulls teammate — some guy named Michael Jordan — also had a ruthless dunk over Ewing. He actually had a couple, but this one is the most savage of all.
However, Knicks guard John Starks gave the high flying Bulls a taste of their own medicine in 1993 with this lefty flush. Lore has it that Starks caught Jordan on this one, but that's debatable, at best. Check the tape and decide for yourself.
Back in the '90s, when both still played for the teams that drafted them, tiny Allen Iverson was all like, "Marcus, this elevator goes to 10 and I'm dropping you off at 7."
Johnson is currently the mayor of Sacramento, Calif., but back in 1994 the short point guard did this to Hakeem Olajuwon. How many politicians can include "dunked over a Hall of Fame center" on their resumes?
We know Vince Carter's all-time classic isn't technically an NBA dunk, but it's so good we'll make an exception. Playing in the off-season for the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics, Carter cleared the 7-foot-2-inch Weis to throw it down.