The Turkish team Besiktas has officially placed a hold on their pursuit of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, according to overseas reports. As of Monday night, Turkey's NTV Sport reported that the team's available basketball funds have been siphoned off by a match-fixing scandal that is tearing across the Turkish soccer landscape.
Turkish Club Besiktas No Longer After Kobe Bryant, Says Report
Any further acquisitions by Besiktas will be reliant on procuring an affluent new team sponsor, according to NTV Sport. Though, Bryant’s sponsorship through Turkish Airlines does add an interesting outside caveat to the discussions.
Before the onset of the scandal, the Turkish club was in talks for a contract that would pay Bryant a monthly salary of $500,000. However, the Lakers’ All-Star was said to have been holding out for an estimated salary of $1 million per month.
Besiktas famously signed New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams earlier this month. Williams' contract is reported to pay him $5 million over two years.
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