Is Kobe Bryant going to remain with the Lakers next year?

Kobe could opt out of his Lakers contract and become a free agent, but he tells cheering fans at the Coliseum, ‘This is my home. … We’ll be back next year, ready to go.’

Three days after the championship, it was time for the celebration.

But for many Lakers fans, the biggest reward Wednesday was the strong hint dropped by Kobe Bryant.

Coming off his first MVP performance in the NBA Finals, Bryant exuberantly shared thoughts of his future among cheering fans at the Lakers’ championship rally.

“Where am I going to go?” he said into a microphone when asked if he would stay with the Lakers. “This is my home.”

Bryant was speaking in front of a packed crowd at the Coliseum, the end point for a celebratory parade that began Wednesday at 11:22 a.m. at Staples Center.

Bryant, 30, can become an unrestricted free agent next month by terminating his Lakers contract with two more years and $47.8 million on it. The 13-year veteran could then re-sign with the Lakers for five years and about $135 million.

“It’s been a blast being here from ‘96 to now,” he said to the crowd. “Here we are, back on top. This feels unbelievable. We have a young team, a team that has a lot of chemistry. We want to do this thing again and again. We’ll be back next year, ready to go. We’re going to keep on rolling.”

Mercifully, Mark Madsen was not around to show off his dancing talents, though there were plenty of other events to remember Wednesday.

Players displayed a variety of emotions while riding in a caravan of double-decker buses to the Coliseum.

Bryant yelled out, extended his right arm and pounded his chest. Luke Walton smoked a cigar and relaxed with his girlfriend at his side. Derek Fisher might have been the most animated player, clapping his hands and raising his arms seemingly without pause on the slow two-mile ride that took almost an hour to complete.

Source: LATIMES