There was a time back in the mid-2010s when the amnesty rule was in full effect throughout the NBA. Each team was allowed to release one player and while the player would still be owed that money, it wouldn’t count against a team’s salary cap. As it turns out, Kobe Bryant was apparently worried the Los Angeles Lakers would use it on him.
Back in 2011, the idea of the Lakers cutting Kobe was preposterous, but once the Lakers were no longer in contention, and he had torn his Achilles, the idea didn’t seem so far-fetched. In fact, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even spoke about that being something the Lakers should consider, and of course Kobe responded in the best way he knew how.