Insecurity leads to to the need to embarrass your opponents Lebron is effusive with his praise of the opponent. After beating down the Hawks, he said "give credit to the Hawks and their fans"?
hard to argue with this post. its not that he had success early however, because lebron is a bit of a prodigy in basketaball. kobe has had a unique life, even from other basketball prodigies, having an NBA father, growing up overseas, etc.
Great article. Most of the Kobe fans are taking an exception to this piece, but they are so jaded by their blind admiration for this douche that any piece criticizing their beloved star only fuels their love for him. Seriously, as soon as you put them on the defensive, they find more and more reasons to love Kobe and tell you how wrong and stupid you are. That's the type of fandom Kobe has created. It's good to see that the media is not all having schpunking over this guy.
This was exactly my point during the aftermath of Game 2 in the debate about Artest's reaction of Kobe's elbow. The way to get to Kobe's head is NOT to react to his action. Ignoring him is the worst thing that can happen to Kobe.
The only thing I can say in Kobe's defense is that LeBron has been crowned the CHOSEN ONE since like 15 He was working out with Mike Jordan etc and been treated as so Kobe had to come to the NBA and earn his . . .. beyond that Kobe is a complete *ss Rocket River
Great article and it really hits on why I never liked Bryant. He's a great player but he is the consumate sore winner. As the article notes its not enough for him to be great but he wears his greatness about as comfortably as a hair shirt There have been many great players who were arrogant and fully knew they were great. The difference is that many of them carried that greatness naturally. Michael Jordan would talk trash to get in the heads of his opponents but he wouldn't go around smirking after every single made shot. He knew he was great and didn't need to smirk or make a pouty face. Kobe though comes off as a petulant kid on a playground who makes a tough shot and is upset that everyone isn't universally praising him. Its understandable that players get excited and emotional after a great play, remember how excited everyone was when Yao told Kaman "You can't f*** stop this!" The difference is that Bryant does it all the time. To me that's not the mark of greatness but insecurity.
True we don't understand him but as the article noted Kobe Bryant has deliberately cultivated a public image that he is being judged on. This is like saying that Ron Artest is privately a nice guy that doesn't change that he was judged a thug when he ran into the stands to fight fans.
If McGrady and Bryant have one thing in common, its their insecurity. It's so obvious that Kobe needs to have praise heaped upon him endlessly on the court. When he defers to his teammates and they make their shots, he's talking up how "unselfish" he is; when they're not hitting their shots, he bemoans the lack of help...even after he himself has a subpar game.
What does this mean? At the end of the day it comes down to judging someone who you don't understand, and this frightens you. There are other universal superstars who overdo their swag (Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry in his early days, etc.) but most international fans don't hate on them because they don't conduct themselves the same way they would on the court. You weren't subjected to same scenario's Kobe was growing up, so it's really showing your own "insecurity" (everyone's favorite word) when you judge a guy you don't know. And nobody knows what Kobe is really like with the people he cares for! I'm laughing at all this talk about insecurity. Step out of your comfort zone once in a while, not everyone was brought up in the same manner and exposed to the same things you have been. People are so desperate to pidgeonhole Kobe into something so they can attempt to understand him; let's call him insecure!
good find GlassHalf, thanks for sharing. Shane is a really really smart person, you can't buy that leaping from HS to NBA!
Does the guy even have any friends in the league, or have they ostricized him after he threw Shaq under the bus when he was being interview by the police?
I think what he was trying to say is that perception is reality, especially in the media, since, as you point out, not one of us knows this man personally. Don't forget how long Kobe has been in the NBA and has played "the media game". I think he knows exactly what image he is cultivating. For what reason he has chosen to, I don't care to speculate.
If you need any window into what Kobe is like when he's not surrounded by cameras off the court or his kids go read the police transcript from the rape case. At worst he's an aquitted rapist. At best he's immature sleaze bag. Sure, its possible he's matured since then, but I see no reason to assume that.
Right, because when you're flustered you act exactly like you always do. Off the court composure and communication aren't tools Kobe has HAD to pick up to make it in the world, he's let his play on the court compensate for that. I know it pisses off alot of people when successful, good looking men who women throw themselves at have affairs, but it happens a lot and as far as we know he's working very hard to build a solid family. If you look at how he grew up, it's very possible he doesn't trust the media and doesn't feel comfortable opening up to them. Big deal, who knows if Shane would be the same guy he is if he had the ability to produce a lot more than intangibles. In this case it's wrong to hold Kobe's talent against him since excellence operates in different ways.
