Kobe Bryant and 5 Players That May Be Signed Overseas

Deron Williams started a trend that is sure to escalate the longer the NBA lockout lasts. 

Every player feels that there talents are being wasted by not playing basketball this upcoming season, especially the players that are free agents. They need to stay in shape and continue to play against talented opponents to gain valuable experience.

These players have recently been in the discussions for playing overseas and all are possibilities as long as the NBA lockout lasts. 

Also, there is that minuscule detail that a lot of these players want to get paid.

6. Sonny Weems

Sonny Weems is already very close to signing a deal overseas and will definitely play over there this summer.  He already visited a couple teams in Europe and should be signed very soon. 

He averaged 9.2 points per game for the Raptors last year and is even better when he starts; averaging 10.8 points per game. 

He isn’t a big name to sign overseas, yet it is surprising that any NBA stars are already committing to a team overseas when there is a chance the NBA season can still happen

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=20326

5. Keyon Dooling

He is very close to signing a contract with the Turkish Club, Efes Istanbul.  He traveled over to Turkey a couple of weeks ago and was thinking about committing to play overseas. 

He has a good year last year and will probably receive a good salary from a team that could use a solid player like Keyon Dooling.

http://dimemag.com/2011/07/fiba-says-nba-players-can-play-overseas-during-the-lockout/

4. Manu Ginobili

There is a possibility that Manu Ginobili could return to his native country to play for Argentina.  He plays very well for their national team and is a fan favorite in his native country. 

He has said in the past that he wanted to play in his home country and this might be his one opportunity.  He hasn’t publicly addressed the subject of leaving America this time around, but in the past he has expressed great interest.  Watch out for Manu Ginobili to head down south if this lockout continues.

3. Ron Artest

He is thought to have been looking at playing in the United Kingdom.  Meta World Peace is always pulling tricks out his hat, just like changing his name, and this wouldn’t surprise me one bit. 

He is known for his media antics and this would just be another publicity stunt.  We all know Ron Artest is a good player, but how much longer will he be able to play the crazy, irrational hot headed rapper.

http://dimemag.com/2011/07/fiba-says-nba-players-can-play-overseas-during-the-lockout/

2. Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t too thrilled with their superstar thinking about playing overseas in Italy, but the reality is both are good options for Kobe. 

Kobe Bryant is so iconic around the world that his birth country, Italy, was thought to have offered him a 50 million dollars a year deal a couple of year ago.

He is fluent in Italian and has thought about this transition in his final years of basketball, so why not make it a reality for a couple of months until the lockout ends.  Kobe has the potential to be the biggest name to take to the foreign courts this off season. 

1. Dirk Nowitzki

This has always be a possibility because Dirk has always been Germany’s biggest basketball star for the past decade.  He is coming off of a NBA Championship and needs to stay fresh if the NBA lockout last until the late summer. 

He would be a perfect fit to play over there, especially for a local club that will sell out every game they play. 

This would be great for a country that is now very interested in basketball, due in part to the massive influence that Dirk has had over his fellow countrymen.  This signing would be quite the shock if this happened, but if the season is locked out; it could happen.