Because of the brevity of the contract, Kobe's relatively advanced age, and his "#Laker4Life" tweet after signing the deal, it appears that he will retire when this deal is over in 2016.
The contract will make him the only player in
But he's taking a pay cut to do so.
Kobe will make $23.5 million in 2014-15 and $25 million in 2015-16, according to widespread reports.
That's a ~$7 million pay cut from his 2013-14 salary of $30.5 million.
Under NBA contract rules, the maximum value of a potential two-year Lakers contract for Kobe was ~$67.9 million ($32.8 million in 2014-15 and $35.1 million in 2015-16).
He ended up leaving ~$19.4 million on the table in order to stay a Laker.
Kobe's contract is totally unique in the NBA. He was drafted 1996 - an era when rookies got paid more money up front and started getting max contracts after only a couple of years in the league. Since Kobe is maniacally competitive and hard working, he has been signing max deals for over a decade. His permitted maximum salary is a relic from the old CBA, and is completely out of whack with what other elite players make.
The second-highest paid player in the league, Dirk Nowitzki, makes $22.7 million. LeBron makes $19 million.
If Kobe asked for a max deal, he would have occupied more than half of the team's total
Even though he's taking a $7 million annual pay cut and leaving $19 million on the table over two years, he's still going to be the highest-paid player in the league. That gives you an idea of just how outrageous his old contract was.
And even though the Lakers got a discount on Kobe, they're still committing a huge chunk of their salary cap to a 37-year-old coming off a torn Achilles. Despite the pay cut, it's an incredibly costly move for L.A.