(U-WIRE) -When did cheering for the wrong man become right?
Last summer, after failing to win a fourth championship, Kobe Bryant became the subject of a potential rape case. Instantly, the majority of the public responded in Bryant's defense, regardless of the evidence. That's a problem.
Since the rape allegations, Bryant has become the focal point of how to overcome adversity. Why is it that he is given so much credit for traveling from Colorado to Los Angeles and playing a game for 48 minutes?
Let's see him get off a plane and work in a warehouse.
When the Lakers win a game after Bryant goes to court, it's a miraculous feat to some, and if they lose, it's because he was in court.
Let's not forget that he is in this situation for a reason. We're all responsible for our actions, and when we do something wrong we shouldn't receive acclaim for trying to fix it.
The public looks at Bryant as this immense figure on the court, but in court he's ignoble. If Bryant goes to jail and is proven innocent, he won't be the first. And there shouldn't be an uproar, but there will be.
Just because it's hard to fathom Bryant committing this crime doesn't mean it didn't take place.
Infidelity is not a crime and it doesn't demand an apology to the public, but Bryant held a conference to tell the world that he cheated on his wife and that he was sorry. That was the biggest cry for sympathy and it showed his lack of character, since he knew how well it would work. By doing that, people began to feel sorry for him.
Chances are he won't be on the Olympic team, but don't buy into the idea that it is his choice. How many advertisers do you think want to associate themselves with him? Try zero.
Now deep in the playoffs, the Lakers seem poised to win another championship, but the big story is Bryant may miss game four because of a court appearance. Obviously, court has not had an affect on his play, so why do we need to know what he does before the game? Why don't we know what Reggie Miller or other players do before a game? Is it because meeting with children before a game is less meaningful than going to court?
Once the Lakers win the championship this year, Bryant will explore free agency. Chances are he'll stay with the Lakers, minus Phil Jackson.
In the pre-Jackson era, Bryant hadn't won a championship; now he has three.
So why cause a rift with a proven winner? Because he can.
It's hard to blame Bryant for this, considering the era. Jason Kidd drove Byron Scott out of New Jersey and Allen Iverson has done the same to a former coach. So now we can see if Bryant is great enough to drive out the best coach around.
Whatever happens at the end of the season, this is the Lakers' last hurrah. Shaq has gotten old overnight, Karl Malone should've quit in 1998 and Gary Payton is just riding it until the wheels fall off.
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