LOS ANGELES, April 2 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Lakers have signed superstar Kobe Bryant to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.
Bryant -- a 12-time NBA All-Star who has played on four NBA championship teams in 14 seasons with the Lakers -- had been signed through the 2010-11 season with an opt-out clause following the current season. Financial details of the extension announced Friday were not disclosed.
"We are extremely pleased that we were able to reach an agreement and come to terms on an extension at this time," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "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."
Bryant, 31, was named league MVP for the 2008-09 season and was the named series MVP when the Lakers defeated Orlando in the NBA Finals last season. He has averaged more than 24 points per game each season since 2000-01 -- and is averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.
He is the Lakers all-time leading scorer and is 12th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 25,723 points.
Bryant was a member of the U.S. gold-medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
