Kobe stays with Lakers

The Lakers have announced that Kobe Bryant has signed a three year max extension to remain with the team through the 2013-14 season. From the team’s official site:

“We are extremely pleased that we were able to reach an agreement and come to terms on the extension at this time,” said Kupchak. “Kobe has been a cornerstone of the Lakers for well over a decade, helping to lead us to four NBA Championships and in the process developing into one of the greatest players in basketball history.”

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that Kobe will remain in Los Angeles, although there was always the chance that a Lakers implosion next season would send him to another team. But with Pau Gasol locked up, too, it’s likely that the Lakers will remain a legitimate contender for these next few years.

All five of their top players — Kobe, Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest — have contracts through 2011-12, with Artest, Bynum, and Odom holding player or team options for 2012-13. Get ready for a few more years of the Lakers near the top of the West, because they’re not going anywhere for a while.