“$27,000,000 Worth Of Nothing”: Kobe Bryant, Earning $10,000,000 More Than LeBron James, Had Skip Bayless Irate Due To Playoff Shortcomings 11 Years Ago

Over the course of his 20-year career in the NBA, Kobe Bryant earned a significant amount of money. Earning $323,312,307 in his career, Kobe was one of the richest athletes in the world. Back during the 2012-2013 season, the five-time NBA Champion $27,849,149. It was a hefty sum that made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. This was something that did not sit well with Skip Bayless, who expressed his frustrations on First Take, 11 years ago.

Heading into the 2012-2013 season, Kobe was earning $7,000,000 more than the next highest-paid player in the league, Dirk Nowitzki. What’s more, he was earning a whopping $10,000,000 than LeBron James. That same year, playing for the Miami Heat, King James won the MVP, the Finals MVP, and the NBA Championship. In contrast, the Black Mamba would go on to tear his Achilles, effectively ending his career, and adding weight to Skip’s argument.

Skip Bayless was not happy with Kobe Bryant earning $27,000,000 in the 2012-2013 season

Back in the day, First Take saw Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith lock horns and debate over a variety of topics. And, in 2012, the subject of one particularly heated debate was Kobe Bryant. At the time, the Black Mamba was the highest-paid player in the NBA, something that Skip wholeheartedly did not agree with.

In the previous season, Kobe and the Lakers had failed to make an impression in the Playoffs. Citing his horrendous series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bayless claimed that Kobe wasn’t worth the $27,000,000 he was being paid. This obviously angered Stephen A., who went after Bayless for his hot take.

However, Skip refused to budge on this matter. Going so far as to claim Kobe’s performances were “$27,000,000 worth of nothing”, he suggested that the Lakers star needs to pick it up. While he does understand that Bryant was earning such a lucrative amount because of the previous collective bargaining agreement, he did not believe that justified his poor performance.

“When I saw this list last night, it leaped out to me that Kobe makes $7 million more than anybody else in this league. $27 million… $27,000,0000 worth of nothing. I realized that you can make the case that it comes under old collective bargaining agreements. But, still…I’m still a prisoner of what I recently saw in the NBA Playoffs.”

Stephen A., who served as the foil to Skip voraciously defended Kobe, stating that the poor performance was a one-time occurrence. At the end of the day, both men made a fair argument. At the time, Bryant was 34 years old and in the twilight of his career. For him to be earning the most in the NBA was ludicrous, especially with the likes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James around. But, then again, to his credit, he was Kobe Bean Bryant.

Kobe’s career took a downfall after the 2012-2013 season

The 2012-2013 season ended in disaster for Kobe Bryant. He suffered a massive Achilles injury in a game against the Golden State Warriors. While he did put up a brave front during the game, it essentially ended his career. Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers were never the same, as they failed to make the Playoffs in each of the next three seasons.

In 2015, Kobe officially announced his intention to retire and what followed was an incredible last run for the Black Mamba. He ended his career by dropping 60 in his last game of the season. However, he probably would have liked to have had one last shot at an NBA Championship.

At the end of the day, Kobe is a true legend of the game. With five championships, an MVP, two Finals MVPs, and a host of All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive selections to his name, his greatness is undeniable. And, in hindsight, he was worth every penny the Los Angeles Lakers paid him.