Injured Kobe Bryant Dissed By U.S. Soccer Coach Jurgen Klinsmann; Compares $48.5 Million Extension To Lance Donovan Snub For 2014 Rio World Cup

The injured Kobe Bryant was dissed by U.S. soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann as he compared the Lakers superstar's situation with Lance Donovan, who was cut from the national team for the 2014 Rio World Cup.

In an interview with New York Times, Jurgen Klinsmann explained his decision to cut 32-yearold Lance Donovan from the 2014 Rio World Cup as he said that Americans have a penchant for overpaying or extending contracts to athletes on decline, such as the injured Kobe Bryant.

"This always happens in America. Kobe Bryant, for example - why does he get a two-year contract extension for $50 million? Because of what he is going to do in the next two years for the Lakers? Of course not," he said.

"He gets it because of what he has done before. It makes no sense. Why do you pay for what has already happened?" Jurgen Klinsmann added.

However, Steven Lebron of Dime magazine noted that while his opinion about the injured Kobe Bryant's extension is fair, it's not saying the whole story.

"Klinsmann is ignoring the value of Kobe to the Lakers franchise from a marketing standpoint, and the intrinsic value of a franchise player spending 20 years of his career with one team," he wrote, adding that the L.A. Lakers could also want the "Black Mamba" to "stay and work with the organization after he retires."

This is not the first time that the Klinsmann said something controversial. Last month, his 17-year-old son, Jonathan, posted a nasty tweet after Lance Donovan was cut from the US roster for the 2014 Rio World Cup.

Jurgen Klinsmann, in a Mashable report, said: "Obviously as a father you put him in line, and he owes him a huge, huge apology."

He also added that his son has a "huge admiration" for Lance Donovan so the Twitter post

was highly disrespectful."

"I think he got his biggest social media lesson he could imagine. It was very disappointing," the US coach said.