NBA vs NHL: Personality Conflicts
Kobe and LeBron
I don’t give a rat’s ass. That was Kobe Bryant’s response when a reporter asked him how he felt after Lebron James overtook his title of “youngest player in the history of the NBA to reach 12,000 career points” (Lebron reached the mark just after his 24th birthday, while it took Kobe until he was 25). This reaction fell perfectly in line with how I’m used to viewing Kobe – he’s an arrogant, self-centered megastar who can’t be bothered with the suggestion that another player might just be better than he is. To Kobe, he doesn’t owe it to anyone to give a more “politically correct” response. He’s not the type to give us one of these gems we’re so used to hearing from more humble athletes: “Uhh, yeah, you know, Lebron is a great player. I can’t believe how he’s so, umm, dominant at such a young age… I’m not sure who’s a better player, but, you know, individual stats don’t matter and it’s all about the team.” Like him or not, Kobe’s telling us how he actually feels. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass. He thinks/knows he is a better player than Lebron James, and he won’t beat around the bush just to seem like a nice guy. He’s too good for that. (more…)