Kobe Buys Pop's Former Team

Shaquille O'Neal yelled as he walked past Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, "Trade me to Kobe's team!"

Bryant, new half-owner of a basketball team in Italy, grinned and said, "I don't think Jerry West would like that."

Both returning to his roots and making at age 21 an investment for his retirement, Bryant has purchased a 50 percent share of Olimpia Milano, the storied Milan team for which his father once played.

"That's my home. That's where I developed a lot of my love for the game. This is something I've always wanted to do, and it's just great that it has happened," Bryant said after the Lakers' Tuesday morning shoot-around.

"I've always wanted to raise my family in Italy. When my NBA career is over, hopefully I'll be there," Bryant added.

He spent eight years of his childhood in Italy while his father, Joe, was establishing himself as a star in the Italian professional league. Joe Bryant earlier played eight seasons in the NBA, with Philadelphia, San Diego and Houston.

The elder Bryant will be executive vice president of the Italian team, with the Bryant family responsible for running the operation. Pasquale Caputo, who bought the team earlier this year, retains 50 percent ownership.

It is believed to be the first time a professional basketball player has acquired a substantial interest in another pro team. NBA players are prohibited from owning a piece of an NBA team.

Kobe Bryant, who chipped in more than $1 million of the $4 million paid for the half interest, plans to spend several weeks each summer in Milan working with his father and with corporate partners, and making appearances.

Owning the team will open even more outside business possibilities for Bryant, already one of basketball's most marketable stars.

"I'm interested in helping my corporate partners grow their businesses around the world," said Bryant, whose many endorsement deals include Adidas, Spalding, Nintendo and Mattel.

He speaks Italian fluently and has returned to Italy many times since he and his family left in 1992.

"I still have a lot of friends there, people that I grew up with," he said. "I've always kept my love of the people and of the country."

Bryant, who went directly from his Ardmore, Pa., high school to the NBA and became an instant star with the Lakers, faces a new kind of challenge with Olimpia Milano, a storied team that has fallen on hard times.

Olimpia Milano has won 25 Italian championships, but Bryant notes that the team has a 5-8 record now.

The Bryants already have signed former NBA guard ooh Richardson.

"We're going to have to make some moves, try to turn the franchise around," Kobe said.

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