Kobe Bryant technically does not have a job right now. He is not getting paid, he can’t talk to his employers. He might be considered among the ranks of the unemployed at this point.
However, if he’s ever in a pinch for money (not that he would be with approximate $196 million in basketball earnings alone), he could always ask his dad. Especially with the big pay raise he should be getting. Sort of.
The Los Angeles Sparks promoted Joe “Jellybean” Bryant from assistant coach to head coach Sunday after coach Jen Gillom led the squad to a 4-6 record and saw Candace Parker go down to another injury (she is quickly becoming the Grant Hill of the WNBA).
“I enjoyed working with Jennifer, and it’s never easy to replace your friend and respected colleague,” the elder Bryant said. “What’s most important is the personnel on the floor hasn’t changed. We have the right mix of players to be a successful WNBA ballclub. (Assistant coach) Sandy (Brondello) and I are both competitive and this team understands the expectations we have for them the rest of the season.”
Bryant joined the Sparks coaching staff in 2005 and took over as head coach for the 2006 season. So this is not his first time at the helm of a WNBA team. His first game in charge is on Tuesday in San Antonio on NBATV if you want to see a Bryant do some work this summer.
Hopefully Kobe won’t need to crash at his parent’s house during this lockout.
Photo from WNBA.com.
