The negotiations between Kobe Bryant and Italian team Virtus Bologna are intensifying daily.

Bologna president Claudio Sabatini perhaps jumped the gun a little Friday when he told the Associated Press he had secured a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers star for a 10-game contract for more than $3 million. Apparently Bologna needed to work out some scheduling details with other teams in the league to make sure Bologna has home games during that stint, according to the AP.

But Monday, Bryant’s representatives and the Italian team issued a joint statement saying they are working very intensely to try and create this important deal. Reaching such a complex deal requires both sides’ maximum attention for every little detail.”

This would obviously be a huge coup for Bologna to be able to return Bryant to the country in which he lived between the ages of 6 and 13 while his father played professional basketball. But the deal will be contingent on the continuation of the NBA lockout.

Bryant would be able to opt out of the contract with Bologna when the lockout is over.

“I hope that very shortly we’ll have a deal,” Sabatini told the ANSA news agency. “I want to thank Kobe, who demonstrated again overnight that he wants to return to Italy.”

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: Chris Carlson/AP)