The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers came into this NBA season with high hopes of becoming repeat champions like they did at the beginning of the last decade with the lethal Shaq and Kobe combination in LA.

Times have really changed since the days of the three peat and the Kobe and Shaq combination in Los Angeles, but the Lakers have been able to get back to dominant status in the NBA once again after seven years of not being able to win another NBA title.

This time around Kobe Bryant is surrounded by some of the most talented players he has ever played with in forward Pau Gasol, up and coming center Andrew Bynum, a versatile Lamar Odom and defensive specialist Ron Artest. With all these superstar caliber players and one of the best benches mobs in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has never had a better chance to win more NBA titles then will over the next five seasons or so.

Unfortunately, for some reason Kobe has neglected to sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers so far this season. It is uncertain why Kobe has been holding off signing a new deal with the Lakers that will almost certainly extend all the way to the end of his hall of fame caliber career in the NBA, but reports have started to surface that the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant could come to terms on a contract extension before the All-Star game on February 14th.

There could be many reasons for Kobe holding out this long like the Lakers not giving him the money he wants of the length of contract he wants. Kobe might be asking for certain conditions that the Lakers are having trouble coming to terms with or maybe Kobe wants to hold out until the summer when he sees what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade end up getting paid so he top both of arguably the two most desirable free agents this summer.

Whatever the case may be, Kobe Bryant would be crazy not to sign an extension with the Lakers as they will almost certainly be a legitimate title contender for at least the next five seasons and no other team in the NBA can offer that kind of opportunity.