GOAT's Contract! (4K)

June 14, 2000!

A three-peat!

The Lakers had finally built a dynasty!

Every three-peat was legendary!

The Lakers' was even more so!

Having defeated countless legendary teams and all-time great superstars, the Lakers had finally established their dynasty!

That summer, the contracts of Kobe, Little Fish, Bowen, and Ben Wallace all expired at once.

"I'll give you the biggest contract the league allows!" Old Buss went straight to Kobe after winning the championship.

Without question!

Kobe was the GOAT of this league!

Four straight Finals appearances, three straight championships, and three straight FMVPs!

Kobe's reputation had reached its peak that year!

His global influence had already begun to approach Jordan's.

The only thing was that Kobe had yet to appear in an international competition.

Back then, the Dream Team had brought the NBA to the world and shown the world the sheer force of American basketball. That was when Michael Jordan truly ascended to godhood!

The few games Kobe had played against international teams dated all the way back to his rookie year, when he led the Lakers' Summer League squad against teams from the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Four years had passed!

The Sydney Olympic Games had arrived!

Kobe had been selected for Dream Team IV!

That summer, he would head to Sydney and make his appearance on the world stage!

Everyone tacitly understood that Team USA would ultimately win the gold medal.

Once Kobe won Olympic gold again, his prestige would rise to another level!

He might even elevate basketball's stature to another level!

If Old Buss did not offer him an astronomical contract, he did not deserve to be the Lakers' owner!

The Lakers had always been synonymous with deep pockets. They might pinch pennies when it came to role players, but they had always been exceedingly generous