Turkish team may sign Bryant during lockout

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant’s representatives will meet with officials of Turkish club Besiktas next week to discuss the possibility of him playing in Turkey during the NBA lockout.

Seref Yalcin, head of basketball operations for Besiktas, told reporters in Turkey he was hopeful of landing the five-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist.

“At the moment there’s a 50 percent chance that Kobe may come to Turkey,” Yalcin was quoted as saying. “Everything will be clearer after the meeting on [July 30].”

Besiktas already has signed New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams to play during the lockout and last year signed former NBA MVP Allen Iverson.

Bryant, 32, has not confirmed his plans but has said he would be interested in playing in either Turkey or China if the NBA season was delayed because of the lockout.

The 13-time All-Star has three years remaining on his Lakers’ contract and Yalcin said Besiktas, which begins play in October, had asked the international basketball federation for approval of any Bryant deal.

Reuters