Kobe's image... from the upcoming ESPN Magazine

[M Dogg™]

I want Kobe to embrace the dark side. I want him to become a heel.


That's a term from pro wrestling, where the lines are simple: you have "babyfaces" (good guys) and "heels" (bad guys). When fans lose interest in a famous babyface, he invariably starts doing evil things, like Hulk Hogan changing his name to Hollywood Hogan in the mid-'90s. Hogan realized that fans were burned out after 12 years of Hulkamania. You can only watch the I'm-almost-unconscious-but-if-you-guys-start-cheering-me-I'll-raise-my-index-finger-and-start-hulking-up routine so many times. So the Hulkster made a savvy turn during his WCW days, blackening his beard and feuding with the resident babyfaces. And just like that, his career had a second life.


Well, this is what Kobe needs to do. The babyface gimmick isn't working. If this were wrestling, announcers would carry on like Kobe was a good guy ... only we'd hear the boos in the background and know it was just a matter of time before he turned. Kobe would intentionally miss a free throw against the Heat and then slam a metal chair over Jack Nicholson's head as the Lakers announcer screamed "Noooooo! Nooooooo!" And that would be that.


Real life doesn't work that way. For the sake of endorsements, athletes pretend to be good guys even when they aren't. During his glory days with Shaq, we heard rumblings that Kobe was petulant, more concerned about his legacy than anything. Even recently, he talked about how Shaq's departure provided a "challenge" for him, which is like Tiger Woods saying it's a "challenge" to play the Masters without his driver. As Magic Johnson taught us, you always, always, always embrace the Big Guy. But Kobe could never do it. Which always seemed strange.


Then the rape allegations popped up, with Kobe's innocence taking a backseat to a larger question: did we ever know this guy? Since Kobe the player reminded us of the young MJ, we ignored unsettling and mounting evidence that he was a brooding loner who lacked Jordan's charisma. Everything that has happened in the past few months reinforced those sentiments. It isn't just that he forced Phil Jackson's exit or Shaq's shocking trade. It's the chilling way he still maintains his innocence. If Kobe can lie about those things so easily, should we believe him about anything? Who throws a teammate under the bus during a police interrogation, or tells reporters that a friend allegedly hit on his wife? Why have respected NBA icons like Jackson, Reggie Miller and Karl Malone questioned Kobe's character, with Jackson even writing in his book, "Was I surprised? Yes, but not entirely," when he heard about the rape allegations?


Fair or not, the overall Kobe package seems contrived at best, calculating at worst. Following the Malone debacle, his campaign to win back public support was downright awkward. During an ESPN interview, Kobe halfheartedly said he should call Shaq to patch things up, sounding like someone who kept forgetting to cancel a magazine subscription. Yeah, maybe I'll apologize to my old teammate for making it seem like he had sex with strangers, then paid them off not to say anything. I should probably do that. The more he tries to seem genuine, the phonier he seems.


During a recent "road" game against the Clippers -- with half the crowd composed of Lakers fans -- I got to see Kobe in person. This is the "New Kobe." He's a leader, or so he thinks. It's as if Magic sat him down before the season and told him, "Coming out of timeouts, when the cameras come on, go to a teammate, drape your arm over his shoulder and pretend you're saying something insightful, then laugh and playfully slap him on the head." During one TO, Kobe threw a white towel at a frustrated Brian Cook, then embraced him 90 seconds later as if nothing had happened. Poor Cook's body was stiffer than a double martini. Hey, you can't tell your boss to screw off. Looking back, it was a goofy game: Clip fans booing Kobe, Lakers fans cheering him. Just another night in purgatory for Bryant.


I'm telling you, he needs to pull a Hollywood Hogan. After all that's happened, Kobe will never be totally cheered again. So why not go the other way? Wouldn't you rather be a memorable villain than a phony hero? Kobe should admit that he screwed the Clips over last summer, that he orchestrated Shaq's trade and Phil's departure, that he threw Malone under the bus for sport. Before home games, he should stand on the scorer's table and flip off fans. Maybe he could even hire a no-good manager with a cane. Embrace the dark side, Kobe. You're already there. You just can't admit it yet.


Where's Darth Vader when we need him?

[7even]

Somewhat, yea. It's not that people never like a bad guy. I mean, look at Rodman. But he should make it "official" and stick to it. Otherwise, people will never like him. And if you're not liked, you also don't get an MVP title. I mean, also look at Iverson. Bad guy, yet liked. Kobe has the problem that he's the disguised bad guy whose in denial about his badness. That's his problem, I agree. Don't know if it's a good time to present your bad character to the public during a rape case, though. Bad luck for the bad guy.

[acbaylove]

I dont know. Have you ever faced a trial for something you didnt you? I've seen a lot of guys in his position and, trust me, you loose the respect of everything and you really need to go to a psycologyst. You know, you feel the whole world blaming you for something you didnt do. You're forced to be humiliated and frustrated all the times, confessing you had sex with another girl to your wife, talking about you having sex with your wife listening.. It's like an Armageddon! Like if the whole world changes in a moment. Like a movie. You turn from being the 2004 Magic Johnson to the 2004 Mike Tyson.. Maybe it's not a strategy. You know what i mean? Maybe he's really mad. And he got big reasons to be mad. To himself, first. And to the world, second. Personally i think he's ruined forever, both mentally and as a showman.

[M Dogg™]

I agree with the article though, but that's not why I posted it. As a Laker fan, it's weird seeing our team in that image, from Jerry West good boy image, to Magic Johnson's great team leader image, but after the latest dynasty which I think made us highly unpopular with the general public since we "won too much," people want to hate the Lakers. If it was Shaq instead of Kobe that controlled the Lakers after this off season, then you'd hear how Shaq thinks his better than the owner, and his lazy and everything else you heard before when he was a Laker. Now Kobe is that person, and it's like people rooting for Derek Jeter of the Yankees. Only people in NY like Jeter, and only people in LA like Kobe, it's very simple. If Kobe can play that off, make himself hated, then some people will pick it up, and eventually he'll be a guy that people like because no matter how much you hate, he wins. Winning sells, especially if people hate you. Ask Dennis Rodman, or Ray Lewis, or the late 80's Pistons. Kobe needs to market himself as the bad guy, and his salls will pick up.

As for the rape trail. Hell yeah he needs to go to a psycologyst. There is no questions about it. But even after that he'll be hated. People want to hate Kobe, his too cocky, too good, people want to hate him, even if it wasn't the rape trail, even if Shaq and Kobe were together to this day.

Bottomline, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavs in 2008, everyone will be rooting for LeBron James, the Cleveland native who over came hardships to make it in the NBA, to beat Kobe Bryant, the spoiled Hollywood punk who's own parents disowned him. The showdown between good and evil is only a matter of time. I can't wait personally.

[eS El Duque]

I agree with the article though, but that's not why I posted it. As a Laker fan, it's weird seeing our team in that image, from Jerry West good boy image, to Magic Johnson's great team leader image, but after the latest dynasty which I think made us highly unpopular with the general public since we "won too much," people want to hate the Lakers. If it was Shaq instead of Kobe that controlled the Lakers after this off season, then you'd hear how Shaq thinks his better than the owner, and his lazy and everything else you heard before when he was a Laker. Now Kobe is that person, and it's like people rooting for Derek Jeter of the Yankees. Only people in NY like Jeter, and only people in LA like Kobe, it's very simple. If Kobe can play that off, make himself hated, then some people will pick it up, and eventually he'll be a guy that people like because no matter how much you hate, he wins. Winning sells, especially if people hate you. Ask Dennis Rodman, or Ray Lewis, or the late 80's Pistons. Kobe needs to market himself as the bad guy, and his salls will pick up.

As for the rape trail. Hell yeah he needs to go to a psycologyst. There is no questions about it. But even after that he'll be hated. People want to hate Kobe, his too cocky, too good, people want to hate him, even if it wasn't the rape trail, even if Shaq and Kobe were together to this day.

Bottomline, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavs in 2008, everyone will be rooting for LeBron James, the Cleveland native who over came hardships to make it in the NBA, to beat Kobe Bryant, the spoiled Hollywood punk who's own parents disowned him. The showdown between good and evil is only a matter of time. I can't wait personally.

Wait one minute...did Ray Lewis or Rodman or the Whole 80's pistons snitch?

[M Dogg™]

Ray Lewis to save his ass from jail time for murder.

[Fuck Your Existence]

poor kobe ...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I can't believe you, as a Laker fan, would post up such an article...Bottom line is, Kobe Bryant isn't a bad guy...That's just what people want him to be. You read every interview, every article, people twist shit to make it seem like Kobe is the next Hitler...It's just not like that.