George: Happiness Comes First

Devean George stayed because being a Laker, after three championship seasons, was habit forming.

“One of the things I learned is being a part of a winning team and the relationship with the guys is very important to me,” he said during a news conference Thursday in El Segundo, shortly after signing his new contract. “I think I turned down some more money. I wanted to be happy first.”

George will earn $13.5 million in the next three seasons. The fourth year, at his option, is worth $4.95 million.

The contract could be worth $18.45 million and not quite the maximum allowed by the collective bargaining agreement, as suggested Wednesday by agent Mark Bartelstein.

Either way, George said, “I should have no problem living off this one.”

The news conference ended a thrilling two weeks for George, who in his third NBA season became a regular part of Phil Jackson’s rotation and a fairly regular contributor. The exposure was enough to make George one of the flashier free agents in a weak field.

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Kobe Bryant played Thursday night in the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park, the well-known Harlem summer league venue in New York that has played host to many of the game’s legendary playground and NBA players.

On an outdoor court at 155th Street and 8th Avenue, surrounded by a standing-room-only crowd that began to form early in the afternoon for a game scheduled for 6 p.m., Bryant had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in barely more than a half for Murda Inc. Records. The game was called early in the second half because of rain, though Bryant, according to witnesses, already had dazzled the crowd with soaring dunks and deft passes.

Bryant’s game was delayed an hour because the opposing team, which included Toronto’s Jerome Williams and Houston’s Moochie Norris, was late. Bryant spent the time shaking hands and signing autographs for fans who screamed when he entered a court made famous by the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Bryant, who earlier this week broke ties with Adidas, wore Nike shoes. Also, he recently was spotted in a Los Angeles-area Nike store, fueling speculation he eventually will sign with Nike.

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The Clippers signed point guard Marko Jaric, their second-round pick from the 2000 draft, to a multiyear contract. Jaric, 6 feet 7 and 198 pounds, averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season for Kinder Bologna, the Italian League champion.

“We like Marko’s size, competitiveness and style of play,” Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor said.

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Staff Writer Elliott Teaford contributed to this report.