Kobe Bryant: Players No Longer Control Their Own Destiny

Filed under: Lakers, Nuggets, NBA Rumors

DENVER -- Kobe Bryant played the role of basketball historian Thursday.

When asked about star players in the NBA now being able to dictate where they might play, the Lakers star guard scoffed at the notion. He said free agency is nothing like it was when he broke into the NBA in 1996-97, the same season in which the Lakers signed center Shaquille O'Neal as a free agent.

"How is he controlling his destiny?'' Bryant said when asked whether Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony is able to control his destiny on where he might be dealt by the Feb. 24 trade deadline. "No, you're seeing the power of the league controlling the players and not having the freedom to be able to move wherever they want. Free agency isn't free agency anymore. It's just not. It's the reverse.

"It's not the same. Free agency is not free agency. Players go other places, you take a significant pay cut to go play someplace else. You get less years and all sorts of stuff. It's not the same as free agency like when Shaquille was a free agent. ... That was true free agency. You could go to whatever team of your choice and have a similar contract and similar structure.''

Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/20/kobe-bryant-players-no-longer-control-their-own-destiny/

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