Kobe Bryant Contract Extension: Good or Bad?

While it may appear on the surface that all is good in Lakerland with Kobe Bryant's new contract extension, this deal may very well hurt the Los Angeles Lakers' chances of returning to elite status anytime soon. Kobe inked a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension, which guarantees that he will continue to be the league's highest paid player after earning a whopping salary of $30 million this season.

There is no doubt that the Black Mamba deserves the extension with everything he has done for the organization, and it isn't a question if a franchise worth over $1 billion with a $5 billion television contract could afford it (per Ramona Shelburne). The important issue here is how giving a massive contract to a 35-year old, 17-year veteran coming off a devastating Achilles injury a massive contract will affect the organization's plans moving forward.

With the projected salary cap for the 2013-2014 NBA season at approximately $62.9 million, Bryant's $23.5 million salary places great restrictions on the Lakers' strategy towards tackling free-agency (per Los Angeles Times). With the potentially stacked 2014 free-agent class including the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, the team can no longer sign two players to max-level deals despite the fact that they have just three players under guaranteed contracts including a hobbled Steve Nash. If the Lakers hope to return to title contention before Kobe retires, general manager Mitch Kupchak will need to work some incredible magic in order to bring in a solid supporting cast with at least one other superstar to play alongside Bryant.

As a Laker fan I am thrilled by the fact that Kobe will wearing the purple and gold for life, but now I have some doubts as to whether or not Kobe still has that intense desire to win a sixth title. Theoretically, he could have taken a much team-friendlier approach a la Tim Duncan with the San Antonio Spurs, especially being that he's already made $250 million dollars in player contracts alone throughout his career.

However, to expect Kobe to take a massive pay cut would be egregious. Lakers owner Jim Buss gave him this new contract prior to his return from Achilles surgery to demonstrate the team's loyalty to an icon. When he plays out the final year of his contract, Vino will surpass John Stockton and become the only player to ever play 20 seasons with the same franchise. While Kobe will have the opportunity to be able to claim Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's spot as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, Laker Nation hopes that he can somehow find a way to will his Lakers to yet another championship.