Kobe Bryant to Meet with Besiktas, Kevin Durant '50-50' on Playing Overseas

Two of the NBA's best players, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, are considering playing overseas if the upcoming NBA season is cancelled or shortened due to the ongoing lockout.

Bryant has been rumored to be considering playing Turkey and will meet with Turkish club Besiktas Saturday, according to ESPN.

After undergoing offseason surgery, many fans are questioning Bryant's decision to play overseas this winter and think that rest may be a better option for the aging star.

Durant recently said he's about "50-50" on whether or not he'll play basketball overseas this season if the NBA lockout isn't settled, according to The Oklahoman.

Durant also said he is hoping the NBA lockout ends in time for there to be a season, but if no deal is reached, he'd "have to think about" playing elsewhere.

Durant is the two-time defending scoring champ and helped lead the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals this past season, where they lost in five games to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks.

Bryant and the Lakers also lost to the Dallas Mavericks last postseason, falling to the champs in a four-game sweep.

Lakers fans know how tough injuries have made Kobe work the past few seasons, and the possibility of him aggravating a previous injury or suffering a new one overseas is a scary thought.

At Kobe's age and with over a decade of NBA basketball wear and tear, there is no question that playing overseas is a bad move and that rehabbing his body is the best course of action.  

Durant, however, is a basketball purist, and there are few things he'd rather do than be in the gym playing ball. While Durant says he 50-50 on playing overseas, I think there is little chance he doesn't play overseas if there is no NBA season.

For every young player like Durant, not playing competitive basketball would hinder their development, and for Durant to become a better all-around player, he needs to play overseas if the NBA is not an option.

According to an AP Report, Durant said "he has been working on his game during his time off." Durant is the type of guy who would join a local men's league at a rec center if there was no NBA season and playing overseas wasn't an option.

The man wants to play basketball—it's what he lives for.

Thunder fans may not like Kevin Durant playing overseas if the NBA season is cancelled or shortened because there is always the possibility of him getting injured.

There's no stopping Durant from playing the game he loves, whether it's here in America or overseas. Wherever he plays, he's going to continue to get better.

For Kobe, the competitive fire he has will likely make him play overseas if the NBA season is cancelled, and for Lakers fans, this is not a pleasant situation.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA and Oklahoma City Thunder featured columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter for NBA & Thunder news. Follow @NicholasGoss35