Kobe Bryant strongly considered signing with the Los Angeles Clippers during his free agency in 2004, even meeting personally with Donald Sterling.

Bryant has publicly criticized Sterling's racial comments.

"At the time the biggest concern was, 'Was he willing to spend to have a successful team?' " Bryant recalled. "He said during the meeting that he was willing to make the commitment in bringing another championship team to Los Angeles. And he has done that. He has spent the money to go out and keep Blake [Griffin] and DeAndre [Jordan] and CP (Chris Paul) and those guys."