Full Transcript of Kobe's Initial Statement to Detectives

[John-John Joe]

i'd hate to branch off the topic but i seriously like to know: what exactly is a 'hater'? more specifically a "kobe hater"? and why are you guys calling out people for 'hating on' him?

this talk of no irrational reason/not having a good reason to "hate on" some player is confusing me.

is it no different then certain lakers fans 'hating on' their team's rivals. i.e vlade divac, chris webber, bruce bowen to name a few? or certain bryant fans disliking players who play the same position & similarly popular as he- i.e mcgrady & carter?

What exactly is a hater? Good question Jamal. It's the kind of guy who absolutely DESPISES everything about Kobe with out any regard for common sense or human decency. If a cat says that he doesn't like Kobe because of his aversion to team ball, then I'd have to agree. Kobe can make me hit the ceiling with his bouts of selfishness and single-minded approach to scoring points.

But on the flip side lot of those same guys will praise people like Iverson who is equally as selfish. Their rationale? "He's got to shoot! Who else has he got on that team? Blah, Blah, Blah!" A measure of a true superstar is the ability to make others better, something that Kobe and Iverson have yet to prove to me. Their justification always sounds weak, I like Allan Iverson but for someone to say he doesn't play in a selfish manner and attack Kobe is absolutely ridiculous.

My ideal NBA is the eighties when I felt that players were more unselfish, so I understand anyone who takes issue with Kobe's "me-me" nature. But my question is: Why don't they take other players to task for similar actions the way that they do Kobe? You have to be honest and say that there is a special hatred reserved for Mr. Bryant and I find alot of times it is unfair as well as unfounded.

You'd be surprised how many cats were HAPPY when news of Kobe's sexual assault case first broke. I was appalled at the amount of people who gleefully applauded the idea of Kobe being sent to jail or thought it was funny, that is what a hater is to me.

[Steve04]

Comparing O.J. to Kobe Bryant is rediculous.

[VlaDiv]

Jordan Rules sounds interesting. But if that stuff is in a book and we all know about it, surely Jordan's wife knows about it by now too huh? I'm not surprised vanessa bryant stick by kobe. The lifestyle she must have kobe and money, it's worth it to stay for her.

[.]

I sadly have to agree with you Vlade, if it wasnt for his NBA image and $$$ she would probably be gone....but who knows.

[John-John Joe]

I sadly have to agree with you Vlade, if it wasnt for his NBA image and $$$ she would probably be gone....but who knows.

Well, you can look at it a few ways. Infidelity is a reality with married couples across the world, it's not strange for a spouse whose been cheated on to try and work things out.

The whole reason this was so publicized was because of his fame and $$$ so it would be unfair for me to say Vanessa is sticking by him because of ulterior motives.

[NNpF]

He bought her a $4,000,000 ring...

And Kobe was stupid just to do this, but first he lied, then like 20 seconds later he admitted he did have sex. And if that chick never pressed charges Kobe would still not have told his wife about her or 'michelle'. I mean I know Kobe is 'great' and all (not to me), but what is keeping him from doing it again? Nothing. I think he knows if he gets caught again and his wife leaves him he could get almost any girl he wants. I mean I always hated Kobe as a player, but after this it is making me hate him as a person too.

[John-John Joe]

Jordan Rules sounds interesting. But if that stuff is in a book and we all know about it, surely Jordan's wife knows about it by now too huh? I'm not surprised vanessa bryant stick by kobe. The lifestyle she must have kobe and money, it's worth it to stay for her.

Actually there is nothing in the Jordan Rules about Mike's infedelity, but best believe that Juanita Jordan is well aware of Mike's escapades. Face it guys, any wife of a professional athlete, actor, rapper, rock singer, etc. KNOWS what kind of marriage they'll be involved in. I believe comedian Chris Rock put it best: "Basically, a man is as faithful as his options."

Not to say that EVERY man is a cheater or would betray his wife, but it is fair to say that the average man would find it hard to turn down some pussy.

The Jordan Rules was more about Mike's UNBELIEVABLE SELFISHNESS. The average NBA fan of today tends to romanticize Michael Jordan because of a) his remarkable successes and b) because he created an image along with his marketing team that portrayed him to be almost a deity. Funny thing is all the criticisms that Kobe gets about his actions PALE in comparison to that of selfish Mike.

The author Sam Smith does an excellent job of portraying Mike as he really was, not a hatchet job mind you, but the unadulterated truth. It is my firm belief that every NBA fan (especially those born after 1980) should read this book. You won't regret it. Just like every Kobe fan should read "Mad Game" by Roland Lazenby.

[John-John Joe]

He bought her a $4,000,000 ring...

And Kobe was stupid just to do this, but first he lied, then like 20 seconds later he admitted he did have sex. And if that chick never pressed charges Kobe would still not have told his wife about her or 'michelle'. I mean I know Kobe is 'great' and all (not to me), but what is keeping him from doing it again? Nothing. I think he knows if he gets caught again and his wife leaves him he could get almost any girl he wants. I mean I always hated Kobe as a player, but after this it is making me hate him as a person too.

That is absolutely your inalienable right Kenyon, but don't be naive enough to think that infedelity or lying about it is exclusive to Kobe Bean Bryant. But understand, you can hate Kobe as much as you see fit too. Just like a fan would hate Jason Kidd for punching Joumana in the face. Do you hate him as a person also?

[NNpF]

I said I am starting to hate Kobe as a person, I never said I do hate him as a person. Maybe he will change, he will realise that what he did was stupid and stop what he's doing. Kobe is still young just like Kidd was when he made his mistakes, but he has changed. And I think Kobe can change to, he just needs the right motivation.

[John-John Joe]

I said I am starting to hate Kobe as a person, I never said I do hate him as a person. Maybe he will change, he will realise that what he did was stupid and stop what he's doing. Kobe is still young just like Kidd was when he made his mistakes, but he has changed. And I think Kobe can change to, he just needs the right motivation.

I understand, but please answer my question posed to you, I feel like you're being a bit evasive.

Okay, lemme word this differently: Do you have any ill will at all toward Jason Kidd because he physically abused his wife?

[NNpF]

I can't say that he is a perfect person, yes I do think a little less of him because he really had no reason to punch her in the face. But that was a long time ago and just like he made his mistakes when he was young Kobe and other players will too. And it's not the mistakes that make me think of them as a bad person, its how they react after they made their mistakes, do they do it again? Or do they turn their lives and their careers around? And I obviously am sounding a bit defensive with this Kidd situation but to answer your question as short as possible:

I do think less of him for making that mistake.

[John-John Joe]

I can't say that he is a perfect person, yes I do think a little less of him because he really had no reason to punch her in the face. But that was a long time ago and just like he made his mistakes when he was young Kobe and other players will too. And it's not the mistakes that make me think of them as a bad person, its how they react after they made their mistakes, do they do it again? Or do they turn their lives and their careers around? And I obviously am sounding a bit defensive with this Kidd situation but to answer your question as short as possible:

I do think less of him for making that mistake.

Interesting reply, thanks.

[BMG]

that was funny for all the wrong reasons
kobe is fucken dumb.

[Drex]

Detective Winters: For how, when did that happen?
Bryant: For like 5 seconds. I said um, give me a blow job, um, and then (inaudible) kiss it (inaudible) she gave me a blow job.
Detective Loya: So the blow job lasted about 5 seconds.
Bryant: Yeah it was quick.

Holy shit, I couldn't stop laughing after reading that

[J@3]

Yes, god yes. That's what really kills me, alot of detractors HATED HIM ANYWAY and are just using this as an excuse to further their cause. I'm so mad at Kobe for giving these cats that kind of ammunition to continue their vehement attack upon him.

Am I saying that every fan who doesn't care for Kobe is a "hater"? NO. That's not what I'm saying. What I am saying is that alot of guys have an irrational hatred towards him that can be so cruel and decidedly vicious that you have to wonder to yourself sometimes: Who is more hated? Kobe or Osama Bin Laden? Of course I'm exaggerating and being a bit fecitious but you get my point.

I agree completely. And some of the more irrational Kobe haters will probably say they hate Kobe more than Bin Laden.

I've heard guys try to come up with a cool nickname for Kobe, perhaps: "Kobin Laden"?

Kobe B-E-A-N Laden

[John-John Joe]

Kobe B-E-A-N Laden

We have a winner folks!

[Stevan]

Lmao, great call Jae!

[Andrew]

I know I'm getting somewhat off the topic here, but...

The Jordan Rules was more about Mike's UNBELIEVABLE SELFISHNESS. The average NBA fan of today tends to romanticize Michael Jordan because of a) his remarkable successes and b) because he created an image along with his marketing team that portrayed him to be almost a deity. Funny thing is all the criticisms that Kobe gets about his actions PALE in comparison to that of selfish Mike.

I read and own a copy of the Jordan Rules, and while I'm willing to believe that behind the scenes MJ was not always easy to get along with and whatnot, it still read very much like a smear campaign.

Also consider Horace Grant's position in the book. He was unhappy with MJ's "selfishness" because he wanted a bigger role in the offense and more shots himself. Is this not also selfishness? Grant still wanted to take more shots himself, something that he was criticising MJ for.

The author Sam Smith does an excellent job of portraying Mike as he really was, not a hatchet job mind you, but the unadulterated truth. It is my firm belief that every NBA fan (especially those born after 1980) should read this book. You won't regret it. Just like every Kobe fan should read "Mad Game" by Roland Lazenby.

How can we be sure that he's portraying MJ as he really was? Simply because it goes against the more favourable image that was cultivated? As I said before, I don't think it's all made up or that MJ is perfect or anything like that, but seeing as Smith's intent is to "expose the real MJ" so to speak, what's stopping him from exaggerating the negative points and/or omitting other events that presented MJ more favourably?

It might be presenting another side of things, but I don't think it can be called the whole truth. When the motive is to expose and present someone in a different light, I think the truth always get somewhat distorted, if only because redeeming actions are ignored.

A lot of good things have been said about Michael Jordan, but also a lot of bad things some of which have nothing to do with basketball. There are a lot of double-standards both in his favour and against him. Consider how he was blasted for gambling in a casino while Charles Barkley makes controversial comments about violence against women without apology or remorse, spits on an eight year old fan, has numerous brushes with the law and is considered a "colourful character".

I don't think the selfishness and negative character aspects MJ is portrayed as having in The Jordan Rules are unique to him, nor is the preferred positive image that is always promoted. I would suggest that other players who didn't benefit as much from the NBA marketing machine exhibit similar qualities behind closed doors, there simply hasn't been as much written about them.

Historically, I think more people (and in particular the media) are quicker to pounce on Michael Jordan and criticise him than most players. I can understand people disliking him, even though I'm a huge fan I don't expect everyone else to share the same esteem. What bothers me is that harsh criticism of other players, like Kobe, is "hating" while harsh criticisms of Jordan are always "telling the truth", "showing intelligence" and "exposing the lies".

I guess part of my frustration is the fact that anyone who admits to being a Jordan fan is generally regarded as having blind devotion and lacking any real knowledge of the game, and I'll certainly admit that through the 90s there were certainly people who were like that. But as a Jordan fan who tries to be as impartial as possible and holds a healthy appreciation for the rest of the NBA and the players through history, it's frustrating to be considered a lesser fan or stupid simply because Michael Jordan is my favourite player.

I know I've wandered off the topic and I'm sure I've come off as being much more aggressive than I planned to, and I certainly don't mean to attack you Dre or belittle your opinion or anything like that - far from it. I just think that MJ's less endearing and less admirable qualities are slightly exaggerated in the name of ruining his image, and that "Jordan hating" seems to be justified while it's considered poor sportsmanship when directed towards other players.

I think the bottom line is, we should admire these athletes for their on-court performance, marvel at their performances and respect their ability, but when it comes to their personal lives, we should look elsewhere for role models and make our own decisions based on our own morals and principles rather than emulating the lifestyles pro athletes appear to lead.

[Fresh8]

Does his wife know about Michelle??? Damn... cheating on ur wife...

If noit... ,aybe a divorce is on the way... and shell somehow get Kobe to pay her lots of money...

[John-John Joe]

I know I'm getting somewhat off the topic here, but...

The Jordan Rules was more about Mike's UNBELIEVABLE SELFISHNESS. The average NBA fan of today tends to romanticize Michael Jordan because of a) his remarkable successes and b) because he created an image along with his marketing team that portrayed him to be almost a deity. Funny thing is all the criticisms that Kobe gets about his actions PALE in comparison to that of selfish Mike.

I read and own a copy of the Jordan Rules, and while I'm willing to believe that behind the scenes MJ was not always easy to get along with and whatnot, it still read very much like a smear campaign.

Also consider Horace Grant's position in the book. He was unhappy with MJ's "selfishness" because he wanted a bigger role in the offense and more shots himself. Is this not also selfishness? Grant still wanted to take more shots himself, something that he was criticising MJ for.

The author Sam Smith does an excellent job of portraying Mike as he really was, not a hatchet job mind you, but the unadulterated truth. It is my firm belief that every NBA fan (especially those born after 1980) should read this book. You won't regret it. Just like every Kobe fan should read "Mad Game" by Roland Lazenby.

How can we be sure that he's portraying MJ as he really was? Simply because it goes against the more favourable image that was cultivated? As I said before, I don't think it's all made up or that MJ is perfect or anything like that, but seeing as Smith's intent is to "expose the real MJ" so to speak, what's stopping him from exaggerating the negative points and/or omitting other events that presented MJ more favourably?

It might be presenting another side of things, but I don't think it can be called the whole truth. When the motive is to expose and present someone in a different light, I think the truth always get somewhat distorted, if only because redeeming actions are ignored.

A lot of good things have been said about Michael Jordan, but also a lot of bad things some of which have nothing to do with basketball. There are a lot of double-standards both in his favour and against him. Consider how he was blasted for gambling in a casino while Charles Barkley makes controversial comments about violence against women without apology or remorse, spits on an eight year old fan, has numerous brushes with the law and is considered a "colourful character".

I don't think the selfishness and negative character aspects MJ is portrayed as having in The Jordan Rules are unique to him, nor is the preferred positive image that is always promoted. I would suggest that other players who didn't benefit as much from the NBA marketing machine exhibit similar qualities behind closed doors, there simply hasn't been as much written about them.

Historically, I think more people (and in particular the media) are quicker to pounce on Michael Jordan and criticise him than most players. I can understand people disliking him, even though I'm a huge fan I don't expect everyone else to share the same esteem. What bothers me is that harsh criticism of other players, like Kobe, is "hating" while harsh criticisms of Jordan are always "telling the truth", "showing intelligence" and "exposing the lies".

I guess part of my frustration is the fact that anyone who admits to being a Jordan fan is generally regarded as having blind devotion and lacking any real knowledge of the game, and I'll certainly admit that through the 90s there were certainly people who were like that. But as a Jordan fan who tries to be as impartial as possible and holds a healthy appreciation for the rest of the NBA and the players through history, it's frustrating to be considered a lesser fan or stupid simply because Michael Jordan is my favourite player.

I know I've wandered off the topic and I'm sure I've come off as being much more aggressive than I planned to, and I certainly don't mean to attack you Dre or belittle your opinion or anything like that - far from it. I just think that MJ's less endearing and less admirable qualities are slightly exaggerated in the name of ruining his image, and that "Jordan hating" seems to be justified while it's considered poor sportsmanship when directed towards other players.

I think the bottom line is, we should admire these athletes for their on-court performance, marvel at their performances and respect their ability, but when it comes to their personal lives, we should look elsewhere for role models and make our own decisions based on our own morals and principles rather than emulating the lifestyles pro athletes appear to lead.

No offense taken at all Andrew. It would be different if the sole source of information was Horace but remember all his sources besides him:

1. BJ
2. Cartwright
3. Pippen
4. Paxson
5. Reinsdorf
6. Phil Jackson (which was revealed later on to be his primary source of info)
7. Levingston
8. Sam Vincent
9. Craig Hodges

That's darn near the whole team! Much like Kobe's detractors in "Mad Game." The books are remarkably similar to be honest, Kobe's selfishness is highly examined as well.

I don't mean to say that Mike was this horrible beast nor do I think the book portrayed him in that fashion. I think it gave a portrait of a man who had a single-mindedness and selfish approach when it came to winning for better or for worse. I guess for better, because the hardware speaks for itself.

As far as your assessment of Chuckwagon, there are plenty of folks who don't view him as just a colorful character. His comments about not being a role model, spitting on the little girl and elbowing the player from Angola in '92 still rub some people the wrong way. But he is still loved by millions much like Mike is (well, more like BILLIONS! ).

But as far as his selfishness, I could care less about his off the court demeanor. Facts are, Mike could be an extremely selfish player on the court. His style of play that deviated from the "teamwork" eighties helped to usher in a new breed of player who's main focus was beating his man one on one. Jab-stepping and faking in the corner while holding the ball for 9-11 seconds of the shotclock before making a move. Playing amongst congestion and sometimes taking on four or five opponents at one time. Impressive as it can be, it can be demoralizing to teammates.

A far cry from the unselfishness of the guys he was chasing early in his career: Bird, Magic and Zeke. Unselfish players who elevated there teams through smart passes and teamwork rather than incessant scoring. Am I saying Mike NEVER cared about his team? No. Am I saying that Mike had no fundamentals? Absolutely not. But the facts are that his style of play completely changed the game into a show of individualism that became marketable and unique to the league at the time.

As far as your assessment of harsh criticisms directed toward MJ that people deem as merely telling the truth? You'd be hard pressed to find too many NBA fans who'd even accept the notion of criticizing Mike let alone come out and call him a selfish player. As a kid I idolized the man from when he first stepped foot on the hardwood in '84. I can remember my Uncle Nicky and Aunt Reva bashing him left and right and I could never understand why. Eventually I learned why. His immense talent and intelligence aside, Mike often ignored teammates to "get his" much like Kobe Bryant does today.

I could never in good conscience call a fan a hater for calling Kobe selfish. Why? Because it's true. I'd call a fan a "hater" when it crosses the line into a vehement attack upon Kobe as a person, devoid of any sound reasoning or basketball references. I'd say the same for whoever did the same to MJ.

[John-John Joe]

I have love for MJ, I really do. How could I not? But I stand firmly by the notion that this league of individualistic superstars (Kobe, Tracy, Vince, Allan, Francis, Baron, etc. etc.) would have been better served idolizing Magic and Bird as opposed to Michael Jordan. Did Jordan do alot for the NBA? No DOUBT! But let's not also forget who truly resurrected the league with their team first mindsets as well as scoring acumen.

[Stevan]

While the book may label MJ as selfish in terms of scoring, you have to take into account that at some point in the book Sam Smith concedes that the two or three most important things for an NBA player; just about any NBA player are: shots, playing time and money. It's a common thing, and through out that book pretty much every player on the Bulls roster bitches about at least one of those three things. Jordan's selfishness came down to wanting to win, and not trusting his team mates as far as I could tell.

I personally think that the second comming of Jordan (95-98) showed a very different Jordan to the one described by Sam Smith in that book. That's irrelevant of course, but I thought I'd throw it in there

The aspects of Jordan's "selfishness" which bothered me in that book for the most part were non basketball court related acts such as the Ticket fiasco (MJ not sharing game tickets with team mates) and a couple of other little things like that. I'll have to get a copy of Mad Game and compare

I loved when MJ made fun of Stacey King for not being able to rebound, and also Manute Bol yelling "motherfuck, motherfuck, motherfuck" at Phil Jackson!!

[Carlos Boozer]

bRyant is hating object.

[GordonBulls]

i feel really bad for kobe, he is a great player, and he will be one of the best, but this adultery stuff, and the rape charges will haunt him for the rest of his career, and that is what sucks so much

[air gordon]

thanks for clarifying guys about this hating business. its a little amusing to me...

Comparing O.J. to Kobe Bryant is rediculous.

care to expand on this RIply?

if anything that's ridiculous, it's mr t telling us and the media to forgive him since his wife did. regardless of a judge's, jury's, wife's, husband's, accuser's, accused's, etc's opinion, we reserve to the right make a judgement ourselves.