Kobe's case

Private Bryant has long journey ahead

Kobe Bryant was charged with one count of sexual assault Friday afternoon. SI.com spoke with Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum about the developments.

SI.com: How surprised were you when you first heard Bryant was arrested on July 6?

McCallum: If we can believe that the President of the United States had oral relations in the Oval office, we can certainly believe that a pro athlete may have been involved in a sexual indiscretion. My reaction was not, "Oh my God." The thing that surprised me -- and everybody -- was the possible indication of a violent component, such as assault, to the accusations. I've reached the point where I'm beyond being surprised when an athlete is accused of a sexual indiscretion. But the violent aspect of the charge did surprise me.

SI.com: The entire episode seems to contradict the image Bryant has portrayed to us throughout his career. Do you agree?

McCallum: The one thing that Kobe has said through the press about this is, "You guys know me, I shouldn't have to say anything. You know I would never do something like that." Well, that isn't' true. Do we really know any of these guys? No. And we really don't know Kobe. He's a phantom behind dark glasses and incredible ability, and it's his right as an American to keep his private life secret and he's done that. However, his teammates don't really talk to him a lot. He has not spoken to new teammates Karl Malone and Gary Payton, as Shaquille O'Neal has. Kobe has not welcomed them into the fraternity, which isn't surprising. He doesn't do that. Although he has a pretty positive image, he won't have 10 teammates leaping to his defense and saying, "This isn't the Kobe I know." To a certain extent, we don't really know the private guy and his teammates don't, either.

SI.com: Were Bryant's lawyers surprised that their client was charged?

McCallum: The attorneys expressed total confidence that they will beat the charges. However, there was some surprise that Kobe had been charged given the fact that No. 1: He has high-priced, skilled L.A. lawyers, No. 2: There was that initial, for lack of a better word, mishandling of the case when the sheriff went for an arrest warrant right away instead of going through the D.A., and No. 3: There had been a lot of questions about the victim's emotional state and where she was coming from in all this.

SI.com: The city of L.A. and the Lakers were riding high on Thursday when they held a press conference for Malone and Payton. The next day Kobe is charged with sexual assault. How has this affected the city?

McCallum: L.A. is a movie town where emotions get jerked up and down and I can't think of any particular time when they've been more jerked up and down than they were in this situation. Thursday was one of the most exuberant times in L.A. sports history (to the extent that L.A. can get excited about sports and it can get excited about the Lakers). It was impossible to overestimate the mood at the press conference where Payton and Malone were introduced. Magic Johnson and James Worthy were there, as well. There was a spirit of "we were down last year and got eliminated, but we're gonna be back stronger than ever." But it's completely changed now because of the cloud hanging over Kobe. The mood has done a complete 180.

SI.com: If Bryant is found innocent, how easy do you think it will be for him to bounce back on the court?

McCallum: Kobe, by all accounts, despite whatever mistakes he may or may not have made, is the kind of guy who learns from mistakes. Somebody close to him once told me Kobe learned more from life's experiences than anyone he knew. If Bryant is cleared he will probably learn from the ordeal and be able to put it behind him better than a lot of players. Right or wrong, however, there is a portion of the populous that believes there are women out there who try to exploit pro athletes. If Kobe is exonerated because he has this reservoir of goodwill built up with the public, he'll be able to bounce back from this better than most other athletes.

SI.com: What impact will this have on the Lakers' upcoming season?

McCallum: What people have to remember is that this may not even affect the upcoming season. Look at Jayson Williams. He was charged with manslaughter almost a year and a half ago and we still don't know exactly what's going on with that case. There will be lengthy court proceedings and, other than the possible psychological fallout for Kobe, the chances that this will affect L.A.'s season (in terms of Kobe missing games to go to court or having to miss practice to meet with lawyers, etc.) are pretty slim. It's almost guaranteed that on opening day and throughout the entire season, we'll see Kobe joining Shaq, Payton and Malone in the starting lineup. Remember the court system moves slower than an overweight Shaq.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum covers the NBA for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.

 

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