Should Kobe take his Talents overseas?

As everyone I'm sure has noticed, there is a lot of talk about different players, including Kobe, possibly playing overseas if there is a shortened season due to a lockout.  I understand the thinking for many of the players, but is it really something that one of the NBA's greatest players of all time should do? I'm not so sure.....

There are definitely many pros and cons about playing in a foreign land.  The first positive is obvious, practice! What better way to stay sharp than to keep playing "competitive" basketball. While this is very important for many of the young players in the league, I'm not convinced that Kobe really needs to do this to stay in a groove. With all of his injuries the last few years, I think the time would prove most valuable if he can get his body as close to 100% as possible for when the season does begin.  Another positive, would be from a purely marketing stand point.  Playing overseas in front of different markets, especially in China (where there are 1 billion people) could be great for the careers of many of the up and comers in the League.   Once again though, does Kobe really need that? I'm sure it would turn him into even more of an international superstar, but how much could it possibly do for a guy that already sells the most jerseys in China.  The risks could be huge! Kobe would be less likely to be at 100% when the NBA season begins, and the risk for further injuries really might not be worth the risk!  I've pretty much made up my mind on the idea and my opinion is that he should stay home in the USA, unless

1. Several of the NBAs top stars sign on in teams that are in the league so that the competition is high
2. Kobe would definitely need a clause in his contract, allowing him to join the lakers whenever the season returns.
3. He get's offered a mountain of $$$$, not 1 million, I'm talking $10 million plus
4. He promises that the lakers will win the 2012  NBA title
5. If I can review all of the information presented in his offer, and allow Mr. Bryant to proceed.

That's It, so Kobe, let's  make a decision here soon!

My reasons for being a Kobe Bryant fan

I feel like it might be a good idea to take a look back at how and why I became a fan of Kobe Bryant.  I really began paying attention to the NBA in the 90s. Living in Minnesota, we didn't have a team until 1989 and it was many years before Kevin Garnett showed up and made them relevant.  I admit that I did what the rest of the country did, and hopped on the Bulls bandwagon.  I was born in 1984 so I'm saying I was a child when I started liking MJ and the Bulls, I didn't even know what the term bandwagon meant.  Watching Jordan play was a blast and I was at the time as much of a Jordan fan as I am a Kobe fan today.  But I knew that Jordan's career was coming to a close and I wanted to find the next Jordan as many others did.  I knew of Kobe, but I started really paying attention when he won the dunk contest in his rookie year. He had many similarities to MJ and overall he was just an exciting young player.  I can in fact remember telling a friend that I was looking forward to Jordan's retirement so that I could see Kobe and Shaq win some rings.  I've always view Kobe a little bit differently than I view a lot of NBA stars.  He's well spoken,  he speaks Italian, and actually did well enough on his SAT to actually get into college (unlike KG).  So many NBA frustrate the hell out of me because they can barely even speak ENGLISH as their first language.  I've always just thought he was more intelligent and well rounded person than most of the stars in the league.  Now, on to the more present day.  It's no secret that Kobe's drive is second to none.  He is on a mission to be the greatest nba player of all time.  Whether he's already there, or he's on his way, or if he has no shot whatsoever, none of those statements will effect the effort that he will continue to put in on his quest.  He famously only takes a couple weeks off after the season before he starts his training again which usually has him up working before 5 o'clock in the morning.  In contrast you have guys like Shaq that make shitty movies, video games, rap albums, and visit Disney World during there down time.  Love him or Hate him, Kobe works hard!  I don't see how people can hate the fact that someone wants to be the best at what they do?  Kobe has 5 rings, been to the finals 7 times, but I have no doubt in my mind that he wants to win more championships more than any other player in the league.  There's been times when Kobe's tried to take the game into his hands and failed, I'll admit that, but you're never gonna see him shy away from the moment like Lebron did against Dallas.  Kobe won't go down without a fight period!  That pretty much sums it up for now, I'm sure I'll probably come back to this later and add more.