Prosecutors DISMISSED Kobe Case - Page 12

Steeltrap · #1 08-26-2003, 02:32 PM

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http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,2132580.story a d v e r t i s e m e n t

O'Neal Hoping for Quick End to Bryant Case
Laker center says ideal resolution would be 'pain-free on both sides,' but avoids further comment on sexual-assault charge against teammate.
From Associated Press

August 24, 2003

Shaquille O'Neal hopes the sexual assault case against Kobe Bryant doesn't drag on.

"It's an unfortunate situation. Kobe's a teammate of mine and a friend of mine," said O'Neal, who previously had been quiet during an eventful summer for the Lakers. He made the comments Saturday while working with youngsters at a basketball camp at an athletic club in West Los Angeles.

"I'm very confident in the judicial system," he added, "so hopefully this will be resolved quickly. And hopefully it will be pain-free on both sides."

He added, "I've been instructed not to say anything about it."

Bryant is accused of committing sexual assault at a Colorado resort hotel on June 30.

Bryant, who turned 25 on Saturday, is free on $25,000 bond.

He is scheduled to return to Eagle, Colo., for an Oct. 9 preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

The Laker guard has claimed his 19-year-old accuser had consensual sex with him.

O'Neal did talk enthusiastically about the Lakers' signing of NBA veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

"I'm very happy, because for the first time in my career, I finally have the dream team I've always wanted, the dream team that I've always been after," he said. "A hard-nosed point guard, a legendary power forward. That's all I ever wanted.

"As long as we keep the ball moving, we're going to be a legendary hard-to-stop team. We have four future Hall of Famers."

After the team's string of three consecutive NBA titles ended in May with a Western Conference semifinals loss to eventual champion San Antonio, O'Neal said that he and Bryant needed a stronger supporting cast.

So the Lakers lured two of the best players in the game. Malone and Payton took big pay cuts to join the Lakers. Neither of the two has an NBA championship ring.

"I think this will be the first time in my career when I don't have to score 30 points every night," O'Neal said.

"After all the years of, 'Shaq, you've got to score 30 points for us to even be in the game,' now we've got a lot of legends on our team.

"Karl Malone said it best: 'Pick your poison on any given night.' "

O'Neal, looking relaxed and joking with the kids, said he feels more ready to go back to work this season than he has in recent years.

"This is actually the first summer in a long time when I've had time to rest and recuperate," he said.

"The other years, it would get down to the nitty-gritty [in the playoffs] and I would have to take a month off just to get my body right.

"By then it's already August, and you have to come back in September and I've never really had time to get back in shape. Then there was the surgery."

He had toe surgery Sept. 11 and wasn't as dominant when he began playing 13 games into the season.

O'Neal said his feet, which have bothered him for several years, are "OK."

"I'm not pain-free, but I still can do what I do. And now I won't have to do it all. Anyway, everyone knows that after a loss, the beast is coming back," he said with a grin.

O'Neal seemed at home with the youngsters, ranging in age from 12 to 18 and coming from all over the country.

"I'm not a role model, I'm a real model," he said.

"I don't do stuff for the cameras. A lot of the stuff I do, the media doesn't know about. These kids have people they want to be like, and they sit in their little hometowns and dream about things.

"If I can make somebody's dream come true, I'm all for it. I want to be one of the athletes that can help shape the direction of some of these young people."

CrimsonTide4 · #2 10-05-2003, 09:00 PM

Bryant 'Terrified' Ahead of Assault Case
Sun Oct 5,11:10 AM ET Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!

By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer

HONOLULU - Kobe Bryant (news) returned to the basketball court Saturday, admittedly out of shape and scared about what lies ahead for his family as his rape case proceeds.

After participating in a few drills with his Los Angeles Lakers (news) teammates at training camp, the superstar guard said he considered not playing until his case is settled.

"Basketball to me just took a back seat, man," Bryant said in his first public comments since July 18, the day he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in Eagle, Colo.

Surrounded by a throng of media in a steamy gym at the University of Hawaii, Bryant decided about a month ago that he would play, a decision supported by his wife, Vanessa.

"You know, I have a job to do," Bryant said, dressed in a gold practice jersey and purple shorts, with a towel around his neck.

"This is my job, coming back to work," he said. "My family and I, we've been dealing with this for a while now and we're going to continue to deal with it. I'm coming back to work and do what I do."

Bryant is accused of raping a woman June 30 in his suite at a mountain resort where she worked. He has said the two had consensual sex. Free on $25,000 bond, Bryant is scheduled to appear Thursday in Eagle for a preliminary hearing to determine whether he will stand trial.

Bryant smiled occasionally as he spoke Saturday, although he mostly appeared serious.

Asked if he was scared about the case, he replied: "Terrified."

"Not so much for myself, but just for what my family is going through," Bryant said. "They had nothing to do with this, but just because their names have been dragged in the mud I'm scared for them."

Did Bryant feel more comfortable walking back into a gym?

"No," he replied. "You know what? You can't imagine what it's like going through what I've gone through, still going through. I come out here to play, and this is my job, and I'm going to come out here and do it well."

Bryant said his family was the main reason he considered sitting out.

"I just wanted to spend as much time as I can with my family," Bryant said. "You go through something like this, you realize how important your family is, seeing my daughter grow up and being at home. Basketball to me is just a distant second."

Bryant reported to training camp a day late, telling the team through his agent that he was "under the weather." He refused to be more specific Saturday.

Bryant was asked if his experience with on-court pressure would help him deal with his off-court problems.

"In this environment, this world, people think a seventh game is pressure," he said, laughing. "Are you kidding me?

"Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me. Going through what we've been going through is difficult."

During the offseason, Bryant underwent surgery on his right shoulder and had minor knee surgery the day after he is charged with committing the sexual assault.

He said stress affected him to the point where he couldn't train.

"I've got work to do," said Bryant, who spent part of Saturday's practice riding a stationary bike.

Bryant doesn't plan to speak with his teammates about his case.

"Why?" he said. "I could put it into words a million times, they'll never understand, they'll never get it. It doesn't matter. We'll come here, we'll work together as a team and we'll play the game.

"We're living through this," he said, referring to his family. "Everybody else is just watching."

What has his life been like?

"Like a roller coaster," he said. "You have your good days, you have your bad days. At home, you have your worst days, then other days are great. Sometimes it doesn't seem like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You pray, you have faith. The next thing you know, the light is brighter than ever."

Bryant also said his life has "been pretty crazy. My wife and I go out on a date and everybody overanalyzes it."

Bryant was asked about what happened in Colorado.

"Are you serious?" Bryant said, before walking away.

Bryant arrived in Honolulu late Friday night, and coach Phil Jackson hadn't had a chance to sit down with him for a one-on-one talk.

"This gym is not appropriate," Jackson said. "It's too noisy. We'll wait until we have a space which is appropriate for it."

kiml122 · #3 10-06-2003, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
Bryant 'Terrified' Ahead of Assault Case
Sun Oct 5,11:10 AM ET Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!

By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer

HONOLULU - Kobe Bryant

Asked if he was scared about the case, he replied: "Terrified."

I read this in the paper yesterday, and you know what...his dumb azz should be.

CrimsonTide4 · #4 10-06-2003, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiml122
I read this in the paper yesterday, and you know what...his dumb azz should be.

Basically.

Oh and this morning, Russ Parrnem reported that he bought Vanessa's mother a $4million mansion less than 100 yards from their home.

kiml122 · #5 10-06-2003, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
Basically.

Oh and this morning, Russ Parrnem reported that he bought Vanessa's mother a $4million mansion less than 100 yards from their home.

One of my friends told me about that this morning that lives in VA, but I thought it was a joke because Vanessa's mom is so young, and Kobe could hit on her too....so you are saying this is true. Ok, I'm really lost on why he is buying her and the fam so much. Again I say, it's not like Vanessa every entertained the thought of leaving him.

Eirene_DGP · #6 10-06-2003, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiml122

Ok, I'm really lost on why he is guying her and the fam so much. Again I say, it's not like Vanessa every entertained the thought of leaving him.

LOL, he is hoping the house will help jog his mother-in-law's memory if she is asked to be a character witness.

Not to mention Vanessa's mother has probably told her daughter to leave him and run with 50%.

CrimsonTide4 · #7 10-07-2003, 02:37 PM

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

ESPN.com news services
Michael Jordan playing for the Lakers? The thought has occurred to Phil Jackson.

Jackson, the Lakers coach and Jordan's former coach in Chicago, intimated in a published report that he has reluctantly considered a scenario in which Jordan would play for him if Kobe Bryant is unable to.

"It has crossed my mind," Jackson told the Chicago Tribune for Tuesday's editions. "But I don't think I'd ask Michael that question until it became absolutely necessary or it became a reality. It's just speculation."

Jordan, 40, has not dropped hints that he'll play again.

Jordan retired after last season as a Washington Wizard, missing the playoffs for a second straight season. He butted heads with teammates and ownership and, ultimately, was fired when he tried to return to his front-office position with the franchise.

Bryant has a scheduled court appearance in Eagle, Colo., on Thursday, when it will be determined in a preliminary hearing whether he will stand trial for felony sexual assault. A trial date has not been set, and it is possible that a trial could come during the NBA's regular season or during the playoffs.

The thinking is Jackson wants Bryant to be able to straighten out his personal life and get back to being the 25-year-old star player he's known to be on the court. Bryant has acknowledged that he considered not playing this season, a revelation that may have gotten Jackson thinking about short-term roster alternatives.

Bryant has denied raping his 19-year-old accuser, contending he was guilty only of adultery for having consensual sex with the woman.

Meanwhile, Bryant is continuing to build strength after having offseason shoulder and knee surgery. At 205, he's 15 pounds lighter than he was a year ago. Jackson said Monday that Bryant probably will not play until the Lakers' Oct. 14 preseason game against Phoenix in San Diego.

"I can pretty much do everything except explode. My leg is weak at some spots," Bryant said in Honolulu, where the Lakers hold training camp.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Steeltrap · #8 10-07-2003, 02:44 PM

Within the Newsweek article on Kobe, I thought that Kevin Powell (from the first Real World) had some marvelous points on how black males are raised.

Race was also a key ingredient in this family brew. “It’s the classic story that happens in black families,” says Kevin Powell, author of a new book, “Who’s Going to Take the Weight? Manhood, Race and Power in America.” “It’s a classic story that happens in black families, where the mother raises the daughters and spoils the sons. The community tends to be very protective of young black men because of what they often face in the world. That can sometimes backfire.” Powell maintains that Kobe’s youth in Italy did nothing to prepare him for the realities of growing up in America, particularly as a black man. “I really don’t think his parents understood what having him grow up there in his formative years did to his ability to communicate with others, particularly African-Americans. It emotionally stunted him.”

That's an interesting indictment, IMO. It's also something that could apply to black children who are raised in deep suburbia, similar to places like Orange County.

kiml122 · #9 10-08-2003, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steeltrap
“I really don’t think his parents understood what having him grow up there in his formative years did to his ability to communicate with others, particularly African-Americans. It emotionally stunted him.”[/I]

That's an interesting indictment, IMO. It's also something that could apply to black children who are raised in deep suburbia

Oh hell yeah!!!

CrimsonTide4 · #10 10-08-2003, 09:05 AM

Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Updated: October 8, 4:12 AM ET

ESPN.com news services
Michael Jordan playing for the Lakers? The thought has occurred to Phil Jackson. But it hasn't occurred to MJ, who said his answer would be no.

Jackson, the Lakers coach and Jordan's former coach in Chicago, intimated in a published report that he has reluctantly considered a scenario in which Jordan would play for him if Kobe Bryant is unable to.

"It has crossed my mind," Jackson told the Chicago Tribune for Tuesday's editions. "But I don't think I'd ask Michael that question until it became absolutely necessary or it became a reality. It's just speculation."

Jordan, 40, has not dropped hints that he'll play again.

In fact, his response -- issued through a spokeswoman -- was short, to the point and unequivocal: "100 percent no."

Jordan retired after last season as a Washington Wizard, missing the playoffs for a second straight season. He butted heads with teammates and ownership and, ultimately, was fired when he tried to return to his front-office position with the franchise.

Bryant has a scheduled court appearance in Eagle, Colo., on Thursday, when it will be determined in a preliminary hearing whether he will stand trial for felony sexual assault. A trial date has not been set, and it is possible that a trial could come during the NBA's regular season or during the playoffs.

The thinking is Jackson wants Bryant to be able to straighten out his personal life and get back to being the 25-year-old star player he's known to be on the court. Bryant has acknowledged that he considered not playing this season, a revelation that may have gotten Jackson thinking about short-term roster alternatives.

Bryant has denied raping his 19-year-old accuser, contending he was guilty only of adultery for having consensual sex with the woman.

Meanwhile, Bryant is continuing to build strength after having offseason shoulder and knee surgery. At 205, he's 15 pounds lighter than he was a year ago. Jackson said Monday that Bryant probably will not play until the Lakers' Oct. 14 preseason game against Phoenix in San Diego.

"I can pretty much do everything except explode. My leg is weak at some spots," Bryant said in Honolulu, where the Lakers hold training camp.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

CrimsonTide4 · #11 10-08-2003, 09:55 AM

INKED OUT: KB8
Kobe's tattoo has finally been explained, as well as a lot more. Here's a pic of the tattoo:

Kobe looks as disturbed by it as all of us were. Good to see that Ray Charles was available to ink him out. Were those the tats Iverson had lasered off? He'll get laughed out of prison with that thing!

Breaking down the tattoo, Kobe says the crown with angel wings is for Vanessa. "That's my wife, my angel. That's a crown, and butterflies. Her name actually means butterfly."

Now, going deeper, this week's Newsweek has a Kobe cover story that's incredibly interesting and entertaining, with stuff from ex-girlfriends and rumors about what really happened that night in Colorado. Kobe has already come out and denied part of the story, though, saying that he never saw a lawyer about getting a divorce.

That tattoo is hideous!!! If I were Vanessa, I would be offended.

Dedicated1 · #12 10-08-2003, 10:43 AM

Why does Kobe Bryant think that tattoos and expensive gifts are a way of showing how sorry he is for his infidelity?

If you want to impress me or prove a point to yourself or your wife, DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!!

CrimsonTide4 · #13 10-08-2003, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dedicated1
Why does Kobe Bryant think that tattoos and expensive gifts are a way of showing how sorry he is for his infidelity? If you want to impress me or prove a point to yourself or your wife, DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!!

Some things should just NEVA ____________ HAPPEN!!!

But should it happen, I will take a lesson from the sista in Addis Abba.

blackcoffee · #14 10-08-2003, 01:26 PM

ummmm.....let me think.....this tatoo is downright U.G.L.Y.!!!

The more I hear about Kobe and his lavish gifts and stupid comments, the more I think this brotha is a nut. The tatoo makes no sense...I see the crown with the ugly butterflies on top...I see her name but what is that sh*t on the bottom of it???

Please somebody school me. heehee

And I HOPE Vanessa doesn't decide to leave his ass....then that tat would REALLY look stupid.

TonyB06 · #15 10-08-2003, 08:30 PM

Yall gotta remember this boy is under extreme mental pressure. If he loses, he gets thrown in cage ....for decades.

I know it's all of his own making, but under the pressure he's facing, I'm sure we'd do some stupid things as well.

but the tat is ugly as h*ll.