Kobe- They Traded the Wrong Guy

Kobe,

It is me your old friend Jack. It has been a while since our last conversation so I wanted to drop you a line and let you know that you are throwing it all away. Yes, you the guy who has so much talent on the court is blowing it. You, the guy with ice in his veins, the man we want to take the last shot at the end of the game apparently misplaced his brain.

What the hell is wrong with you. Your loyal fan corps are dropping like flies. When you got caught in Colorado we wanted to make excuses for you. We wanted to believe that you had acted childish and immaturely. We wanted to believe that you thought with the little head and not the big one and that there was nothing more sinister than that.

We wanted to believe that you were interested in being a part of something special, of working to make the Lakers a team for the ages. We were willing to forgive the bickering that inflated egos bring, because as long as you and Shaq could work together and put the arguing aside it was ok. We all work with people we don’t like, but we learn how to suck it up and do it or we leave.

But that wasn’t enough for you, you blew up the team. You and Shaq didn’t win a thing until Phil showed you how, but that wasn’t worth anything to you and so you forced him out. Maybe you are just too young to understand how luck doesn’t always smile upon you and that having Shaq around made you better, not to mention could extend your career because it gave you someone to share the burden with.

And then maybe you are as misguided and clueless as you appear. Maybe you really do not have any common sense and are stuck with a stunted set of social skills that prevent you from seeing how much trouble you are creating for yourself.

For man who can be so graceful on the court it is amazing how little you have off of it.

The good news is that you are young enough to make some changes and to work out the kinks, but you better start soon because it will get harder. Perception will become reality for many and the opportunity to change is fleeting. Don’t miss the boat because the water is rougher than you think.