Kobe Bryant has taken to Twitter to defend his contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The shooting guard signed a new two-year deal with the team earlier this week, earning him $48.5m (£29.7m), resulting in some fans questioning whether the deal leaves the Lakers short of space on their salary cap.

The 35-year-old said: "The cap rules players have to be 'selfless' to help billionaire owners [are] the same cap rules the owners locked us out to put in.

"Don't just learn your sport, learn the sports industry."

Bryant is yet to play this season, having ruptured his Achilles in April.