Where is the Love?

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

The first time I seen Kobe Bryant in action was in 1997 during a Saturday morning on Inside Stuff. They were showing his exploits from that years Dunk Contest, in which he won. I was astounded, but it wasn’t until the next season, December 17 to be exact, when the Los Angeles Lakers came to the United Center and I watched the above performance that I became an admirer, student and fan of Kobe.

To go toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan was one thing, being 19 and WANTING to go toe-to-toe with Jordan was something completely different. Kobe would finish that game with 33 points and Jordan with 36.

When I was 19, I was working a cafeteria job at Northern Illinois University, trying to maintain good grades, surviving off Ramen noodles and somehow managing to have money for shoes and bills.

As I write this, it is early morning in Beijing. The Olympics have come and gone. Names like Phelps and Bolt are now sitting atop the record books.

My main focus of the Olympics was the quest of the Men’s basketball team to reclaim the gold medal. I was amazed with the popularity of basketball in China and how the athletes were accepted.

Yes, the Gold medal medal is back in the United States because of teamwork and a dedication that was instilled by director Jerry Colangelo and overseen by coach Mike Krzyzewski. But, you couldn’t help notice how one player still stood out amongst all of the players.

“Me and LeBron were joking about this,” teammate Carmelo Anthony said. “We thought we had popularity over here until Kobe came. I think they are just excited to see him, being a part of Team USA Basketball and not being affiliated.”

I saw it, the media saw it and even his Olympic teammates. It got me to thinking, why isn’t Kobe as accepted in the United States as he is abroad?

For maybe the first time in his career, Kobe Bryant was generally accepted by everyone. He wasn’t giving your home team 40, he wasn’t drilling turn around jumpers, reverse dunking or breaking down your favorite player. He was playing stingy defense on the opposing teams best player, hitting spot-up jump shots and breaking zone defenses for OUR country.

The Gold medal game against Spain was a very competitive one. Everytime Team USA looked like they were about to runaway with the game, Spain made smart plays and either found their way to the rim or wide open from the three.

This continued into the 4th quarter, where Spain would cut a 13 point deficit to two, with about six minutes to go. Coach K would take a time out and give Kobe these words;

“He told me to let that mamba loose, and that’s what I was able to do,” Bryant said. He would be involved in almost every play afterwards.

Bryant returned to hit a short jumper, find an open Deron Williams for a three-pointer, assist to Dwight Howard, for a 98-89 lead.

Bryant went on to make a three-point shot for a 101-92 lead and then hit another contested three with Rudy Fernandez fouling him and out of the game. After the shot, Kobe stood facing the Spanish fans, quieting them and in the process crushing Spain’s spirit.

Bryant drove the lane hard for a one-hander that gave the U.S. a 113-105 cushion with 71 seconds to go and sank a pair of free throws after Spain was assessed two technical fouls with 26 seconds left.

Redemption complete.

For the Kobe haters, as you found yourself cheering in that fourth quarter, did you ask yourself Why haven’t I been appreciating this? That 6 minutes that you found yourself sitting on the edge of your seat hoping that 3-4 years of preparations were for nothing, when you felt pressure so tight, you felt you had to go to the washroom, Kobe stepped up and did what he has been doing for 12 years. Never on that stage mind you, but in front of our eyes for the longest.

Still the question will remain in my head, How can the greatest player in today’s game be more loved in China, when he has given us so much more?

Via: http://mvn.com/nba-bulls/2008/08/28/where-is-the-love/

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=TC-kKQMue4g&eurl=http://mvn.com/nba-bulls/2008/08/28/where-is-the-love/

[rj215]

Yeah Kobe nearly raped Jordan that ga.....oops...

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

So many people hate Kobe because he dares to beat a team by himself. Some hate him because he isn't on their team. Lets be honest does anyone really think that if we traded Kobe to Denver they fans would boo him? People may never truelly understand Kobe's greatness for a long time after his so-called replacements are out of the game as well.

[JamStone]

It got me to thinking, why isn’t Kobe as accepted in the United States as he is abroad?

Because Kobe being such a dick doesn't translate well in Chinese. And, for petesake, they murder their own babies when they don't have penises, so raping a white girl doesn't appear to be a big deal to them.

[Allanon]

Because Kobe being such a dick doesn't translate well in Chinese. And, for petesake, they murder their own babies when they don't have penises, so raping a white girl doesn't appear to be a big deal to them.

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".

[Trainwreck2100]

Because Kobe being such a dick doesn't translate well in Chinese. And, for petesake, they murder their own babies when they don't have penises, so raping a white girl doesn't appear to be a big deal to them.

They stopped doing that when they hit a shortage of women.

[T Park]

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".

Ah, Kobe fan justifys China's actions :lol

Wow.

[dirk4mvp]

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".


I hope you're not trying to justify that because they have a large population.

[Trainwreck2100]

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".

He settles out of court

[Allanon]

Ah, Kobe fan justifys China's actions :lol

Wow.

That's just ignorant...you must have also "lol" at the Katrina victims.


I hope you're not trying to justify that because they have a large population.

I've been to China several times on business over the years. The glitz and glamour of Beijing during the Olympics hides the fact that several regions are filled with starving people.

Living in the USA, we take it for granted that jobs are to be found and food can be bought. And for the most part, in the USA, as long as you try, you are sure to never starve.

The reality is the world around us is still pretty f*cked up. The former USSR still has pockets of extreme poverty. Mexico has druglords decapitating and killing people to the tune of 2,700 people this year.

China is a huge country but with communism and poor infrastructure, starvation is real and not a laughing matter. I'm no fan of communism or forced ideals but if they had not done something to curb population, they would of had massive starvation and unemployment throughout the poorer provinces.

A forced population limit (aka legalized and sanctioned abortion) in my opinion is better than millions of starving children. Abortion is the least of China's problems.

[The Franchise]

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".

Then why only kill girls?

[JamStone]

I don't know what happened to you over the summer Jamstone but you used to be one of the best objective posters on the board. This comment is just trash.

The Chinese "kill their babies" because they have 1.5 billion people to feed. China is in most provinces is still a 3rd world country with not enough food to feed its people. If they hadn't been controlling population all these years, they'd have 3 billion hungry people by now.

And everybody knows the girl Kobe "raped" had spunk from 3 other guys at that same time she went to go get Kobe's "Autograph" in his bedroom. Doesn't really sound like a girl who says "No".


First of all, my post was not to be taken seriously, jackass.

Secondly, Laker fans have always thought I was objective when it comes to Kobe because I have always supported Kobe. I'm a fan of Kobe Bryant, the player. And, I generally pimp his game and even defend him. The post wasn't serious, so brush the sand off the vagina.

Lastly, you realize you're justifying killing baby girls, right? Forget birth control prior or during sex. Forget that the killings targeted female children only. It's cool because of the Machiavellian principle? Is that right? SMH

[Allanon]

First of all, my post was not to be taken seriously, jackass.

[The Chinese] "they murder their own babies when they don't have penises" is "hilarious"....whatever dick.



Lastly, you realize you're justifying killing baby girls, right? Forget birth control prior or during sex. Forget that the killings targeted female children only. It's cool because of the Machiavellian principle? Is that right? SMH



Then why only kill girls?

The Chinese being girl-baby killers is the more extreme cases. But for the most part, most contraception is done prior to pregnancy, and almost always prior to full development of the fetus. It's like saying the USA is a bunch of baby-killers because teenage girls sometimes dump their babies into trash cans. Or that Americans are all inbreds because it sometimes happens in some areas.

China has a 1 child rule....and recently are starting to allow for 2 children. The government never said you have to have males, they just said you can only have 1 child. Being as it will be the only child they will have, Chinese prefer to have males with the obvious reason they are more useful in labor related tasks. Yes, female targetted abortion does happen.

It's easy for us to judge the Chinese as being immoral for targeting "females" for abortions. But most of us have never felt the pangs of starvation or lived in a house the size of some closets here in the US.

Chinese families often cannot afford to have a female child becaue women in China cannot work in nearly as many jobs as men can. When I was in China, I saw a mother selling her 10-12 year old daughter to one of the whorehouses in the city. I saw it only once but it's a common occurrence in the poorer areas of China because families are no longer able to support their children. Looking at the mom, you could tell she didn't want to but you look at the frail starving, wisp of a girl and it's hard to know what to think. Is it better to let your daughter starve to death or sell your 12 year old to a whore house?

Like I said before, abortion is the least of China's problems.

[JamStone]

[The Chinese] "they murder their own babies when they don't have penises" is "hilarious"....whatever dick.


I don't give a shit what you find funny or not funny. It wasn't a serious post. That much should have been evident to you. Whether you laugh at it or just shake your head, again, I don't give a shit.

As for China and their one-child rule, I didn't say the rule was a bad one. My comment specifically criticized the reality (especially in the early years of implementation of the rule) that couples would murder their babies if they were female. It didn't have to do with the government killing baby girls. Couples were doing it on their own. And, it was on a country wide scale, not a few dozen isolated incidents of teenage girls dumping their kids in trash cans and toilets, so that comparison is hugely off-base.

So, thanks for your attempt at a Political Anthropology lesson, professor. But, you took it way too far and got way too sensitive over something that wasn't even serious. Loosen the asshole muscles now. You're a little too uptight over a stupid comment on a messageboard.

[baseline bum]

Kobe's alright I guess. His fans have a high douche to knowledgeable ratio though.

[Allanon]

I don't give a shit what you find funny or not funny. It wasn't a serious post. That much should have been evident to you. Whether you laugh at it or just shake your head, again, I don't give a shit.


You gave enough "of a shit" to answer, jackass. Sounds like Alotta Vagina to me.



As for China and their one-child rule, I didn't say the rule was a bad one. My comment specifically criticized the reality (especially in the early years of implementation of the rule) that couples would murder their babies if they were female. It didn't have to do with the government killing baby girls. Couples were doing it on their own. And, it was on a country wide scale, not a few dozen isolated incidents of teenage girls dumping their kids in trash cans and toilets, so that comparison is hugely off-base.


You didn't say jack about females in your first post...you said "babies". You're talking about killing "babies" which means a fully formed fetus aka 8-9 months. This did NOT happen on a country wide scale and was by no means "common"...where did you get this kind of false information?



So, thanks for your attempt at a Political Anthropology lesson, professor. But, you took it way too far and got way too sensitive over something that wasn't even serious. Loosen the asshole muscles now. You're a little too uptight over a stupid comment on a messageboard.

Sorry if I get uptight over baby-killing comments. It's like people who joke over Katrina, just not cool. If you feel it's funny to joke about killing babies, I hear there's another hurricane headed for New Orleans.

[JamStone]

You didn't say jack about females in your first post...you said "babies". You're talking about killing "babies" which means a fully formed fetus aka 8-9 months. This did NOT happen on a country wide scale and was by no means "common"...where did you get this kind of false information?


they murder their own babies when they don't have penises

What the hell are babies with no penises?



This did NOT happen on a country wide scale and was by no means "common"...where did you get this kind of false information?


http://www.gendercide.org/case_infanticide.html


But the number of "missing" women showed a sharp upward trend in the 1980s, linked by almost all scholars to the "one-child policy" introduced by the Chinese government in 1979 to control spiralling population growth.



http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0012028.html


In China it is important to have boys, as only boys can carry on the family name and honour the ancestors. This preference for male children has led to approximately 10,000 female infants being killed in China each year (1996), and along with the abortion of female fetuses has resulted in a sex ratio of 131 males to 100 females (1997); worldwide the ratio is 105 males to 100 females.


http://www.cnn.com/interactive/specials/9908/china.social.overview/content/infanticide.html


In the 1980s, however, the government census began to show hundreds of thousands of missing baby girls each year.

The problem is most egregious in rural China where boys are valued as extra hands who will support their parents in their old age. Girls, who by custom move in with their in-laws after marriage, are viewed as damaged goods. If a baby if unwanted, she is abandoned, suffocated or drowned soon after birth.




Sorry if I get uptight over baby-killing comments. It's like people who joke over Katrina, just not cool. If you feel it's funny to joke about killing babies, I hear there's another hurricane headed for New Orleans.

Now go humbly and quietly get killed like a Chinese infant girl.

[rj215]

....so anyway, Kobe's an asshole....

[Allanon]

What the hell are babies with no penises?
I stand corrected, I didn't get that part.


This preference for male children has led to approximately 10,000 female infants being killed in China each year (1996)

10,000 is certainly not common when you consider that several million abortions are annually performed in a country of 1.5 BILLION people. That ratio is way too small to be considered "common". Let's bump that up even more, if there were 100,000 new inbreds per year in the US, does that mean that the US citizens are a bunch of inbreds? The Chinese, collectively, do not routinely kill their baby girls, some do but let's not generalize the race for the actions of some people.

The Chinese are people like you and I, they don't think killing is any more right than we do. You think they want to kill their babies? You think they want to have 1 bowl of rice for 4 family members? You think they want to sell their kids to whorehouses just so their kids can have something to eat?

They are a hard-working people but with no jobs and no food, what can they do? They are in a very bad no-win situation and it's just not funny by any means.



Now go humbly and quietly get killed like a Chinese infant girl.

Right after you.

[ChuckD]

So many people hate Kobe because he dares to beat a team by himself. Some hate him because he isn't on their team. Lets be honest does anyone really think that if we traded Kobe to Denver they fans would boo him? People may never truelly understand Kobe's greatness for a long time after his so-called replacements are out of the game as well.

I'm being 100% honest, but I've never heard any player referred to as The Next Kobe. The unfortunate thing for Mr. Bryant is that he had to follow MJ, and he didn't set the new definitive standard the way MJ did in surpassing Dr. J.

[lefty]

Kobe's alright I guess. His fans have a high douche to knowledgeable ratio though.

:lmao

[nhan]

"For maybe the first time in his career, Kobe Bryant was generally accepted by everyone. He wasn’t giving your home team 40, he wasn’t drilling turn around jumpers, reverse dunking or breaking down your favorite player. He was playing stingy defense on the opposing teams best player, hitting spot-up jump shots and breaking zone defenses for OUR country."

Lies..He was showing off his dunks the whole Olympics. And stingy defense...gimme a break. Kobe doesnt know how to play defense...always going for steals. And he definitely wasnt breaking the zone defense during the Spain game.

[Reggie Miller]

Kobe's an asshole who supports foot-binding. This allows his Chinese fans to ignore the fact that he is named after a city in Japan.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding