KOBE has bought a 10 BEDROOM HOUSE complete with pool, lagoon, and pirate ship http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif

KOBE KICKS KIN TO CURB?

NBA star buys new home, parents move back home.

*Has Kobe Bryant denied thy father and mother? 360Hiphop reports that the LA Laker recently bought a $13.5 million home in Orange County, CA, but that his parents are
moving back to Philly and out of the home he bought them because of their dislike for Bryant's wife.
The site reports that moms and pops don't seem to like her much and have labeled the young bride a gold-digger. Well,
she's certainly struck gold because the Kobe Bryant's now reside on 9 1/2 acres, with 10 bedrooms, a movie theater, and a four-car
garage.
http://personalfinance.aol.homestore...ault.asp?pic=1

Well the rumors must continue, recently I was told that now Kobe and Vanessa are expecting their first child? Oh, Lord what is the world coming to... Also, is it true tht in the state of California, the woman is promised half of what her husband has when divorce is final... Oh my ears are burning!!! LOL

KOBE and his family life. . .
 

Estrange Situation
Disappointed with his son's marriage almost two years ago, Joe Bryant is no longer part of Kobe's life, but Laker star hopes that changes

It was a night when a son could have used a father.

Kobe Bryant missed nearly two-thirds of his shots, missed a free throw that could have won the game, failed to save the Lakers in Thursday's playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Somewhere at Staples Center, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant was there.

But he wasn't.

He didn't wave or call out. He didn't visit the locker room. He didn't speak to the son from whom he has been quietly estranged for nearly two years.

"My mom asked me to leave him a ticket, so of course I did," Kobe said, his voice dropping. "But I knew he wouldn't come down and see me. He never does."

The postseason is Bryant's favorite time of year, his spotlight, his moment. Yet the NBA's most spectacular one-on-one player is more alone than anyone would imagine.

Bryant is trying to make history while performing the far more extraordinary feat of surviving family.

His father, a former NBA star who lived with his son during Kobe's early Laker years, has severed contact with Kobe because of his unhappiness over his son's marriage to wife Vanessa.

While declining to offer details of a rift made public by his father, Kobe quietly confirmed this week that Joe is uncomfortable that Vanessa, a Latina, is not African American, and he is uneasy with Bryant's selfless devotion to her.

Said Kobe: "Sure, I miss my father. Who wouldn't miss his father?"

Said Joe: "Once he decided to get married, it's his life now."

Bryant acknowledged that from the moment he became engaged to 18-year-old Vanessa Laine two years ago, it caused a family division that has tested his strength like no defender ever could.

His parents did not come to Kobe and Vanessa's wedding two summers ago. Joe has not seen the couple's new house in Orange County. Joe has never met the couple's first child, his granddaughter Natalia, who was born in January.

When Kobe's Philadelphia-area high school retired his number last season, his parents sat in one section of the bleachers, while Vanessa sat in another section.

Bryant, whose court toughness masks his sweetness and sense of values, stands firmly behind his new family while leaving the door open for his old one.

He has since renewed ties with his mother, Pam. When a Philadelphia magazine asked him to pose in one of his father's old jerseys, he gladly agreed.

His parents have his direct phone number and an open invitation.

Yet his father never calls.

His father hasn't seen him in a championship series since the first one against Indiana. On Thursday night, Joe Bryant attended his first Laker game this season.

"It's not about basketball," Kobe said. "It's about having somebody to go to a ballgame with. It's about having somebody to hang out with. That's what I miss."

Out of respect for his family even as they were snubbing him, Bryant has refused to discuss the issue even as it became the worst-kept secret in Lakerland.

It would have remained private but for a decision by his father to move back to Los Angeles this spring and become a coach in a made-for-television sport called SlamBall.

Publicists for the game, which is essentially basketball on trampolines, sent out a news release promoting Joe Bryant and offering the former eight-year NBA center for interviews.

During a session with The Times earlier this week, in an old warehouse in a cluttered corner of the San Fernando Valley, Joe mentioned Kobe before any questions were even asked.

He bragged about his ability, talked about his maturity, then openly acknowledged the particulars of their estrangement.

"Twenty years from now, when his own child grows up, he'll understand what I'm doing," Joe said.

He would not give specific reasons for the separation.

"When Kobe made a decision to be with someone he cared about, Pam and I decided it was time to back off, that's all it was," he said.

He would not acknowledge any racial animosity toward his daughter-in-law.

"I'm cool with Vanessa, put that on the record," he said.

When asked why he doesn't see his son, he sighed.

"It's his life, we've got nothing to do with it," he said. "We've done our job."

A day after the interview, Joe sent word that he planned to finally meet his grandchild this weekend, although Kobe was unaware of the plans.

Yet, hearing the quotes, hoping that perhaps his father was finally reaching out, Bryant agreed to publicly reach back.

"Sure I hope we can get back together," Kobe said at the Laker practice facility Friday. "When the time is right, if he wants to come and sit down and discuss things, we can do that."

As with any player, particularly a sensitive 24-year-old, Bryant's issues with his father can be seen in everything from his dribble to his glare.

This is a big reason why his focus has increased this season to the point where he is often basketball's most unstoppable player.

"The court has become my psychologist," he said. "It's my time to get away from all the hassles and problems. It's my moment."

And this is why, two years ago after they won their second championship in Philadelphia, he was spotted holding the trophy in the shower and crying.

Everyone thought it was because he was weary after a long year of fighting with Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson.

Not so.

"Yeah, that was about my dad," Bryant said.

Earlier in that postseason, he had gotten married and his family did not attend.

Then, to survive the boos and pressure in your Philadelphia hometown, to win a championship right down the road from your father's house and your father doesn't even come to any of the games?

No failure had ever broken his heart like this triumph.

"It had been such an awful year for me, so hard," Kobe said. "I want a father. I want my father."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The story begins when Kobe Bryant moved west as a 17-year-old in 1996.

It begins then, because he moved with his family.

When he joined the Lakers out of high school, so did his family, parents Joe and Pam, sisters Sharia and Shaya.

"We weren't just going to let him come out here by himself," said Joe. "That wasn't how we worked."

For three years the family lived together in a house in the Pacific Palisades, with Bryant the ever-doting son, inviting his family to share in his newfound wealth.

"Don't write that he lived with us," Joe acknowledged. "It was his house. We lived with him."

Bryant bought cars for everyone, including a BMW for his father.

When the family decided to let Kobe live by himself, they moved to a nearby lot only a quarter-mile away, and Kobe talked about building a gym between the two homes.

"My family was always there for me, I love them for that," Kobe said.

But he was growing up, and increasingly making his own decisions. And after dating a young woman he had met at a video shoot, he made the decision to marry Vanessa.

That is where the problems started.

"I think a lot of it is just natural," Kobe said. "I'm sure it's tough on any parent when their child grows up and starts stepping into their own."

Like his teammates, his family wondered if he was stepping too quickly into a springtime of 2000 engagement with Laine. He was 21, she was 18. They were married less than a year later.

"As a parent, I'd like him to slow down and smell the roses," Joe said. "But then, I'm a parent."

But, as usual, everyone underestimated Bryant's maturity. By all accounts, he treats marriage as if he wrote the manual.

He supports his wife such that he once rushed home from the road during the playoffs for an overnight visit because she was ill.

He is so supportive, in fact, that many folks figured that Indiana's Reggie Miller must have criticized her when Bryant suddenly and strangely punched Miller in a game last spring.

"Nah," Bryant said with a smile. "Reggie doesn't know anything about this. He was cracking on me, and I was just cracking back."

He protects his wife such that he provides security for her during games and rarely discusses her in public.

He tells his family the same thing, again and again.

"It's right there in the Bible," he said. "When you get married, your mother and father and sisters are no longer the priority. Your wife and daughter are the priority. That's the way it has to be."

He wishes everyone would understand that this is forever.

"I am so happy," he said. "My wife and daughter give me such strength. All this has just brought us closer."

Close enough, he said, to be able to look at his baby daughter and understand what must be done.

"We will prepare her for life, teach her everything we know, give her everything we can," he said. "But when it comes time for her to stand on her own two feet, we will let her do it. We will stand behind her no matter what."

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com.

http://www.latimes.com/la-sp-plaschk...5703598.column

Bring out the violins..... :rolleyes:

I agree with Pops, though. I have my own issues with interracial relationships/marriage, but I won't go there.....

Dang.....that's a deep article. I'm sorry, Joe coulda been as mad as he wanted to be before the wedding, but he just needs to get over it. There is a big difference in "backing off" and lettting his son be a man, and totally distancing yourself from him. He hasn't seen his grandchild?!?!? WTF! Would he prefer that Kobe leave his wife and CHILD? What's done is done. He is wrong as two left shoes as my Godmother would say.

Shyyyyyyyttttttttt, I'm shocked poppa Joe has REMAINED with his AA wife. That's sooooooo unusual these days of used to be athletes/celebrities!

I understand where pops is coming from. It may not be right, but I understand.

I can't believe Kobe played me like that. I thought it was me and him to the end! LOL!

I understand where he is coming from too. I would be more than a little salty if either one of my nephews brought home a "Vanessa", but after they got married would I be mad enough not to deal with them for 2 plus years? Mad enough not to see my great neice/nephew?? I just can't imagine it. Now if Vanessa is disrepecting the family or something like that I could understand, but I see none of that .

Now, re Jellybean and Mrs. Jellybean, it sounded like they were no longer together from the article. It said that JOE moved back to Cali, not the family. Or did I misread??

IMHO.....
Who Cares???????????

Bill Plaschke
 

I'm a Lakers fan, as you well know. I find the timing of the piece rather disturbing, but I digress.

Now I agree with Eclipse. Kobe married Vanessa, they have a daughter. Jellybean needs to be cordial, civil and a part of baby Natalia's life. And I have to say that Vanessa is still a woman of color.

Soror, Jellybean is of a different era than what you see today. When he was playing, interracial marriage only had been barely decriminalized and it wasn't, as it were, a trend.

:confused: Maybe I misread... :confused:

Soror Steeltrap, it (IR) still existed. It may not have been the trend, but it existed....just ask my cousin. :rolleyes: :D

That article was a truly unimpressive piece of sports writing.

Bring out the violins indeed....

Poor poor St Kobe and his angel bride.

I am so sure there is more going on to this situation. This seems more like an attempt at manipulating the media for SOME reason than a true confession or heart to heart. I don't know what's up with him and his Dad but I respect his father's decision not to run to the press WAY more than I believe one word that came out of Kobe's mouth in this piece.

I ain't buyin it.

Oh, yeah, it existed. When I talk about "decriminalization," I'm speaking of the Supreme Court decision.

You know what, you have a good point! I know when Halle and David Justice were going through their "stuff" I got sick of Halle running her mouth about how he did her wrong. After a while sI stopped believing her...

ttt
 

**coughfortheblindcough**;) :o :p :cool:

Re: ttt
 

**coughyouwrongcough**


LOL!!!!!!

Re: Re: ttt
 

LOL, the person to whom I was referring to will know it is all love. :D

:cool:

Decision on Bryant Case Expected Friday
31 minutes ago

By COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press Writer

EAGLE, Colo. - After two weeks of investigation, the district attorney will announce Friday whether Kobe Bryant will be charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman.


AP Photo



Bryant, a three-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers (news), surrendered to authorities July 4 on allegations he attacked the woman at the exclusive mountain resort Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in nearby Edwards on June 30.


The five-time All-Star was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic. In his only public comments on the case, Bryant told the Los Angeles Times he "would never do something like that."


Bryant attended the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday, but he avoided the media in his first public appearance since his arrest. He sat in the audience smiling and laughing with his wife.


If charges are filed, Bryant would have to return to Colorado on Aug. 6.


The case has drawn national attention to this mountain town about 100 miles west of Denver.


Details of the case have been sealed under a court order.


Authorities have said both Bryant and his accuser went to hospitals after the alleged attack for tests.


Sheriff's deputies took Bryant to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, about 40 miles west of the resort, early July 2. Sheriff's detective Doug Winters declined to say why but said Bryant was allowed to leave on his own because he had not been charged.


Authorities have said they are treating Bryant like any other suspect, though sheriff's investigators didn't reveal his arrest until July 6 — two days after he was released on $25,000 bail.


Bryant's attorney in Denver, Pamela Mackey, has accused the sheriff's office of rushing the case against Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert's wishes.


Mackey was not in her office Thursday and a secretary said she would not be available until Monday.

http://espn-ak.starwave.com/media/nb...e_espy1_ft.jpg

Kobe Bryant was charged with felony sexual assault by the Eagle County, Colorado prosecutor on Friday. Bryant is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year old woman at a hotel on June 30. If convicted, Bryant could face up to life in prison. The trial is set to begin on Aug. 6.

They must have some DNA on my boy cuz he just admitted through his attorney that he is not guilty of sexual assault but he is guilty of the crime of adultry. :( :mad:

acccording to a list i am on, the DA has evidence of forced sexual penetration. :o

Funny you should say that...
 

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by toocute
They must have some DNA on my boy cuz he just admitted through his attorney that he is not guilty of sexual assault but he is guilty of the crime of adultry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kobe issued this statement through his attorney (after he was officially charged):

"I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me," Bryant said in the statement. "I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me. ... Nothing that happened June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me."

So there was sex, we just don't know if it was assualt.:confused:

Re: Funny you should say that...
 

By saying this Kobe is making the claim that the sex was consensual and not forced.

BTW, what does everyone make of the fact that the victim did not go to the hospital until the next day? Do you think that she was scared?

Kobe's wife, Vanessa, also has issued a statement saying that she is going to stand by her man.

Basketball Star Bryant Charged with Sexual Assault
41 minutes ago Add Entertainment - Reuters to My Yahoo!


EAGLE, Colo. (Reuters) - Basketball star Kobe Bryant (news) was charged on Friday with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel concierge at a posh Colorado resort, a prosecutor said.

"After much deliberation charges were filed against Kobe Bryant. He was charged with one count of sexual assault," Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert told reporters outside the court house.


Bryant, a guard with the Los Angeles Lakers, was charged with Class 3 felony sexual assault which carries a potential sentence of from four years to life in prison if he is convicted.


In a statement, Bryant said, "I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me. I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me."


Hurlbert, who declined to comment on the closely guarded facts in the case, said he believed he could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for conviction in the United States.


Hurlbert also said the alleged victim wanted to maintain her privacy and did not want to speak with the media.


Bryant, 24, whose attorney was expected to comment later on Friday, is scheduled to appear in court in Colorado on Aug. 6, Hurlbert said.


Bryant's wife, Vanessa, in a separate statement, said, "I know that my husband has made a mistake -- the mistake of adultery. He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage and we will do so. He is not a criminal."

Re: Re: Funny you should say that...
 

She ain't pressed -- she gets HALF no matter what.

Re: Re: Re: Funny you should say that...
 

You know. :rolleyes:

Re: Re: Funny you should say that...
 

I'd stand by him, too. If he goes to jail, she will still be sitting pretty.

Anyway, he had to come out and admit a sexual act. He had to suspect that his DNA would have been found. You can't deny sexual contact if your DNA is found. I think that the admittance was a way to downplay an assault that may or may not have happened.

I don't know if she was scared to go to the police. Maybe she was taking time to plot her next move. I mean, I don't think that this a plan merely to get money. She could have extorted him in other manners. She could have easily gone to the tabloids or something to stick it to him. But this is getting down to a conviction and jail time. I am not saying that she may not still take a settlement, but she could have done that in these two weeks of limbo if she was going for that. And if the DA has enough evidence, even if she backs out, they can still press for a conviction. I don't know, Kobe.....

The whole situation has me sick. Not only am I a Laker fan, but I am also a KOBE fan.

However, I'm not gonna make any excuses for him. I hope this situation teaches ALL athletes that they are not invincible--no matter how clean their image may be!

Re: Re: Re: ttt
 

:D

I had problems logging in, but thanks! lol


All I can say is:

LEBRON ARE YOU TAKING NOTES???? :o

I believe he slept with her once and she thought it was going to be something more then got mad when it wasn't and called the folks and said it was assault.

Re: Re: Re: Re: ttt
 

You ain't NEVAAAAAA lied.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got this from Chit Chat's Kobe thread. . .

Kobe Bryant, a Black athlete, now finds himself in the same situation written about in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

(from the Neal Boortz web site. Neal is a Republican with ATTITUDE: a Libertarian!)

ON KOBE BRYANT

Los Angeles Laker basketball player Kobe Bryant has been charged felony sexual assault. This could be the end of his professional basketball career. It will almost certainly mean great monetary damage . . the loss of endorsements, etc.

I will draw on my experiences representing athletes as an attorney to share some thoughts with you. Kobe Bryant is an athlete. This means that he is a target. After virtually every NBA basketball game you will find women hovering around arena exits who are willing to throw themselves into bed with almost any athlete that walks out of that door. Some of these women just want another notch on their garter belt. Some of them are looking for something more; they're looking for money. Lots of money. Their intention is to lie about birth control and have unprotected sex with the hope of getting pregnant. They know that having the child of a wealthy athlete is a guarantee of easy street for at least 18 years. No work, nice house, nice cars .. the works. Sound harsh? Trust me, these women are out there. The large brain of every athlete is aware of this fact. Disaster happens when they let the small head do the thinking for the large head. They've been warned, but the testosterone level is almost as high as that hoop. Go have yourself a good time, then get out your checkbook.

The women who are merely looking for bragging rights of sex with a top athlete present another danger. That danger comes from the possibility of feelings of regret and humiliation, even fear. The danger is prison.

We have a case in Georgia right now where a high school athlete has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape of a classmate. I've studied the case, and I believe him to be innocent. The athlete is black, his victim was a white girl. I believe that somehow the girl's parents found out about an episode of consensual sex between the two, or at least the girl worried that this was about to happen. She was scared to death that her parents were going to find that she had been dating a young black man. Her solution? Claim she was raped. This black kid raped her. She then, in my opinion, stood back and watched this kid go off to 15 years in prison because she didn't want her parents and friends to find out the truth.

Kobe Bryant is accused of rape in Eagle County, Colorado. Eagle County is not exactly a black Mecca. I don't know if it has been stated one way or the other, but I suspect Kobe Bryant's alleged rape victim is white. My gut feeling is that the sex was consensual, regret and fear set in, and she made the allegation of rape. As events proceeded she became frightened . . . too frightened to step forward and put a halt to this disaster by telling the truth.

If Kobe Bryant forcibly raped this girl, send him to jail . . . for a long time. If he is being put on trial because some young girl regrets a romp in the sack with an athlete and is afraid for her reputation, then the wrong person is going to trial.

In the meantime .. we have a good lesson for other athletes out there, especially the younger ones who are loaded with athletic talent but not too burdened with judgment and common sense. Those women fawning over you can well be dangerous. You would be better off sticking your love commando into a cage full of scorpions.


Neal makes good points; points that are common sense. I remember reading about women who have sex with athletes who take the condoms off and freeze the sperm only to have it injected later to impregnate themselves. :eek:

Thank you. Athletes need to be on guard at all times. The situation also has me anguished because I admit, I bought into the good-guy Kobe image. This isn't, after all, Shawn Kemp and his multiple kids or someone known for sexual adventures, as it were.

The truth of the matter is, I could really care less. And I'm a little perturbed at how much coverage this is getting. It's just not newsworthy to me. While I understand how things get blown up when a celebrity is involved, it still ticks me off. The conspiracy theorist in me says that something crazy is about to happen and it's getting covered up by this whole scandal. Whatever. I will say this, though. Would not be surprised if ol' girl is melanin challenged. And I think that she is. Wifey had some melanin (albeit a little bit), we let that go. But now... *snickering*

Ol girl is WHITE!! I saw a pic of her on another site, but never bought it over here because it was not a confirmed pic.

My husband and I had a "discussion" about Mr. Bryant this morning. I argued the point that Kobe put himself in this situation because he SHOULD NOT HAVE BEING CHEATING IN THE FIRST PLACE. I also stated to my husband (and we have had this argument before) that it is ludicrous to think that it is only black women who prey on athletes. I tried to explain to him that a woman of any color who wants an athlete will do anything to get him. He says that the reason why black men tend to lean towards women not of color is because men don't like to be pursued but be the aggressor. He says that when a celeb beit athlete or otherwise go to the club have (black)women throwing themselves at them so they are going to go for the (white)woman who's not doing that.:rolleyes: I tried to explain to him that ALL (golddiggin')women have a game plan and it's all apart of the game.**shaking my head****

Now that's not to say she was not raped, but I have to question the circumstances when I take a full look at the facts.

I saw the same pic CT4. Not only is old girl white, but she's not pretty either. I'll at least give Vanessa that. Kobe, Kobe, next time please think with the right one. Did anyone see the press conference with him and Vanessa when Kobe was crying?

Aside from Kobe, I am just not in the business of putting alleged rape victims down. How can we ever say when something was or wasn't rape? Take, for instance, the case that the lawyer in the post from Kobe's site sited. How do we know that the young man didn't rape the girl? I am not saying that he did, but if we continue to doubt rape "victims" and state that they are just charging people out of fear, regret, or anger, we will continue to have victims afraid to come forth. Not all rape victims look like the ones on TV--torn clothes, bruises, cuts, etc.

Secondly, I don't think that a woman's color has anything to do it. Last night, someone called into a local radio show and said, "If he would've stuck with the sistas, he wouldn't have these problems." Women of all colors have these problems. No one color has a monopoly on being rape victims, just as no one color has a monopoly on making false accuastions. What is really the problem is that he cheated on his wife. His teammates, GM, etc. are saying that this alleged sexual assault is out of Kobe's character. What about ADULTERY? I understand that the sexual assault overshadows that point right now, but it still needs to be addressed.

Lastly, I know about "groupies" that stalk players. And, like the lawyer said, the players know as well. Therefore, they should be prepared for all sorts of things (i.e. kids, diseases, lawsuits). And the type of thinking that Miss Priss's husband possesses is the reason why so many women in our community are angry and disgusted with the relationships between black men and women, especially rich black men. We are viewed as desparate, aggressive, demanding, etc., while our non-black counterparts are "keepers" and are often sought after. That's all some BULLISHT! I can go on for days in this area, but I will digree. That's a whole 'nother issue and thread.

I agree with you RD, the thinking does perpetuate ignorance. It is our job as Black mothers to teach our sons a different frame of thinking. However, when (the majority)athletes are caught up in situations such as these typically black men are normally accused of assault by white women. This feeds itself into a media frenzy that makes SOME mediocre instances into overrated situations. Now did Kobe do it ? I don't know---if he did he should pay.
What's even more interesting (and smart) about this case is that he has a female attorney speaking on his behalf. Rape (especially in this case---which is he says she says) will be very difficult to prove. If she's not a virgin she can almost hang it up.
p.s.
Gina where did you see the pic (give website etc.)?

Pic of Kobe's Accuser
 

http://colorado.ihigh.com/eagle/images/dsc00029.jpg


The picture was taken last year.
She is the one on the ground on the right.

Re: Pic of Kobe's Accuser
 

Thanks CT4!!!! I had been pulling my hair out to find this pic.....

(Vision:watching CT4 fly off into the sunset with her rippling red cape..and me saying thanks CT4 I'll never forget you!!) :D