Not content to allow LeBron James to sweep up all the attention for his leaked interest in going overseas for $50 million, Kobe Bryant stepped into the fray yesterday from Beijing. Telling The Boston Globe that he'd go to Italy for $50 million a year. You know, sooner or later the NBA brass might have to acknowledge that Europe is a legit threat to their league. Or maybe they'll claim that Bryant was misquoted. Kind of hard when you see this quote:

“I’d go. I’d probably go,” said Bryant, during a USA Basketball press conference on Friday morning. “Like Milan or something like that, where I grew up or something like that… Peace out.”

Peace out? That's the kind of lingo that still kills in Italy. That and jeans that don't reach your ankles. Recall that Bryant spent much of his childhood living in Italy and speaks the language fluently. He also owns 50% of an Italian team. Is there finally a legit threat to the NBA salary cap?

Kobe to Italy [Boston Globe]
NBA’s Worst Fears Realized: Kobe Would Leave to Play in Italy for $50 Million a Year [The Big Lead]

With a nice finger extended to David Stern's 19 year age limit as he crosses the Atlantic. At least according to his lawya, Jeff Valle.

Valle said Jennings will not even wait for his third standardized test result to see if he got a qualifying score after his second test was questioned by the NCAA. The results from the third test are due later this week.

"That's a moot point now," Valle said. "He's not going to the University of Arizona. Brandon plans on going to Europe."

Well, Lute Olsen is holding things down at Arizona nicely. Get rid of most of the coaching staff that was supposed to follow you whenever you retired? Check. Lose another top 40 recruit, Emmanuel Negadu, to Tennessee? Check. Contemplate re-retirement or several years in the NIT? Looking that way.

The Big Lead also has some good stuff about whether or not this represents a new era in NBA-collegiate relations or Jennings is the exception.

Lawyer Says Arizona signee Jennings headed for Europe [ESPN]

And the European Basketball Experiment Begins [The Big Lead]