Kobe Bryant Fooled Me

I must admit that I was bamboozled, fooled, and just had the wool pulled over my eyes all year by the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. This year I was fooled into thinking that Kobe Bryant had changed, and had matured. But, in the NBA Finals this year, the same Kobe that cried to be traded this summer and complained about his teammates during the past 3 years returned. The same spoiled Kobe that refused to shoot the ball in a second half of a playoff game against the Phoenix Suns returned. That same ego-driven guy that engineered the trade of Shaquille O’Neal out of Los Angeles returned.

What the hell happened to that guy that was so gracious all year, and allowed his teammates to grow? Where did that guy go that seemed like he wanted to fit in so well and prove all of his critics wrong? Was it all an act, or is that he cares so much that he could not bear all the pressure? I just thought that it was a new day for him, and I thought that possibly that I had been wrong all these years. But all I have come to realize is that I can trust that feeling I get inside about someone’s personality.

This year P. Diddy coined the phrase “Bitchassness,” and Kobe Bryant personifies every trait that this word could convey. For those not up on their hip-hop lingo, and person that has bitchassness in their personality is one that has no loyalty to people that they should. They have the tendency to make things about them when they absolutely have no reason to. This word usually describes a male that has gossipy, and has the general personality of a messy woman. So in regards to Kobe, he has shown each one of these traits during his career.

Early in his career, I developed a dislike for Kobe Bryant, but unlike many other Kobe haters I was not the hugest Michael Jordan fan. I loved Jordan but I would not call him the best player ever because I never saw Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, or many of the other past greats play the game. But I had problems with Kobe because I felt like he did not want to establish his own legacy, but yet follow Michael Jordan’s. From day 1 I saw that Bryant walked, talked, played, chewed gum, and even gave interviews like MJ. I never questioned the talent of Kobe Bryant, I have however questioned his personality.

Another one of the traits that rubbed me wrong with Kobe Bryant is his seemingly aloof nature. He has always shut out his teammates, and found ways to isolate himself. Former teammates have testified that he does not do the things that most would expect their leader to do. He would not attend teammate parties, or just engage in team bonding experiences. It was his dry personality that made it easier to take the side of Shaquille O’Neal in that break up, because Shaq was the more accessible personality. During this summer while throwing a 4 month long hissy fit, he blasted young center Andrew Bynum to some random guys in a parking lot, and it was posted on the internet. It is things like this that have kept my disdain up for him.

But, I thought I had seen the apocalypse, and that he was going to be the gracious superstar that youngsters Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade have been during their short careers. I only ask that pro athletes be gracious, give respectable interviews, and just put on an ”act” that they do it somewhat for the fans. Maybe Kobe’s personality is due to the fact that he did not grow up deprived as his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was also a pro basketball player. It could quite possibly be that he grew up in Italy while his father was playing basketball there. Or ultimately he could just be one of the biggest jerks with immense basketball talent.

Whatever the case may be, this years NBA Finals has brought all of those things that people criticize Kobe for back to the surface. He has been seen hitting teammates, yelling at them, and complaining about every last call no matter how flagrant it is. The other day I saw a video of him punching Vladimir Radmanovich in the ribs during a timeout, and it was your usual get your teammates motivated. It was a malicious, anger filled strike, and you could see the frustration in his face. The Celtics have brought out the frustrations in the Lakers and with that, the worst of Kobe Bryant has followed. During the test of adversity, Kobe Bryant has failed as a teammate, it makes me wonder how he handles personal adversity (shoulder shrugs).