ducks
07-18-2003, 09:52 PM
Kobe may suffer, but the Lakers won't
July 18, 2003
Sean Deveney Sporting News
Well, that's that. Kobe Bryant has been charged with what boils down to rape, and there now is almost no way to avoid a very public trial. Like it or not, in America, very public trials are covered by Court TV and others, dissected by legal experts and given to the public for personal judgment. I feel like I, a humble basketball writer, should follow the footsteps of Greta Van Suestran and have my eyes tucked.
However you look at it, Bryant is going to be judged in a court of public opinion, and he should be warned: No amount of cute McDonald's commercials or expensive suits exempts a person from a guilty verdict in the court of American public opinion. We love to see our celebrities on the witness stand, facing cross-examination, and we inevitably judge them guilty. Bryant has already committed rape in the minds of many, has already sullied his sterling reputation, and has taken a further bite out of America's tenuous relationship with professional basketball players. That's the future Bryant faces, guilty or innocent.
Let's review where Bryant stands. He is merely being charged with a crime, not convicted. By early August, the prosecution will lay out its case, and Bryant will have to be present to lodge his plea. For a guy who is recovering from shoulder surgery, that is not a big problem. And if Bryant truly thinks he is innocent, even the verdict is not a big problem. On the surface, at least.
Where the first concerns of Bryant, and of the Lakers, come into play is in terms of the trial. No doubt, the trial will take place during the season, probably at the end of January or the beginning of February, which means Bryant could miss a significant chunk of the season, or even the All-Star game -- which is in Los Angeles this year.
For Byrant and the Lakers, the trial is a matter of image as much as truth -- unless a further shock comes with a guilty verdict. Then we're looking at another ballgame altogether. Bryant would face a minimum of four years in jail. In general, prosecutors would not go ahead with such a charge unless they were confident that they had more than a he-said, she-said case on their hands. Prosecutors clearly believe there is enough physical evidence, and enough witness testimony, to bring a guilty verdict.
Bryant will, no doubt, have an excellent team of defense attorneys on his staff. But if he is found guilty, forget about his role with the Lakers, and forget about the possibility of him becoming a free agent next summer -- he will be looking at a minimum of four years in stripes, and we're not talking pinstripes.
It seems almost callous to talk about how that affects the Lakers' title hopes at this point. But let's be clear, in case there are any desperate Kings fans looking for a reason to hope next year: It won't. That's how good the offseason additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton were -- even if Bryant winds up a convict, the Lakers are still the best team, with Payton, Malone and O'Neal. They have a point guard who can distribute it, who can go into the post and who can shoot from mid-range. They have a power forward who can set screens, is a threat from 15 feet and can hit the weakside boards. And, they have Shaq. If he's in shape, who cares what Bryant's legal status is?
All this is not to say that Bryant will be found guilty. That's up to lawyers and folks like Van Suestran to contemplate. As for those who prefer to talk basketball, I say this: the day the charges were brought should not be seen as a significant day, for or against the Lakers. Bryant's image will suffer, but not the team that employs him.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at [email protected]
July 18, 2003
Sean Deveney Sporting News
Well, that's that. Kobe Bryant has been charged with what boils down to rape, and there now is almost no way to avoid a very public trial. Like it or not, in America, very public trials are covered by Court TV and others, dissected by legal experts and given to the public for personal judgment. I feel like I, a humble basketball writer, should follow the footsteps of Greta Van Suestran and have my eyes tucked.
However you look at it, Bryant is going to be judged in a court of public opinion, and he should be warned: No amount of cute McDonald's commercials or expensive suits exempts a person from a guilty verdict in the court of American public opinion. We love to see our celebrities on the witness stand, facing cross-examination, and we inevitably judge them guilty. Bryant has already committed rape in the minds of many, has already sullied his sterling reputation, and has taken a further bite out of America's tenuous relationship with professional basketball players. That's the future Bryant faces, guilty or innocent.
Let's review where Bryant stands. He is merely being charged with a crime, not convicted. By early August, the prosecution will lay out its case, and Bryant will have to be present to lodge his plea. For a guy who is recovering from shoulder surgery, that is not a big problem. And if Bryant truly thinks he is innocent, even the verdict is not a big problem. On the surface, at least.
Where the first concerns of Bryant, and of the Lakers, come into play is in terms of the trial. No doubt, the trial will take place during the season, probably at the end of January or the beginning of February, which means Bryant could miss a significant chunk of the season, or even the All-Star game -- which is in Los Angeles this year.
For Byrant and the Lakers, the trial is a matter of image as much as truth -- unless a further shock comes with a guilty verdict. Then we're looking at another ballgame altogether. Bryant would face a minimum of four years in jail. In general, prosecutors would not go ahead with such a charge unless they were confident that they had more than a he-said, she-said case on their hands. Prosecutors clearly believe there is enough physical evidence, and enough witness testimony, to bring a guilty verdict.
Bryant will, no doubt, have an excellent team of defense attorneys on his staff. But if he is found guilty, forget about his role with the Lakers, and forget about the possibility of him becoming a free agent next summer -- he will be looking at a minimum of four years in stripes, and we're not talking pinstripes.
It seems almost callous to talk about how that affects the Lakers' title hopes at this point. But let's be clear, in case there are any desperate Kings fans looking for a reason to hope next year: It won't. That's how good the offseason additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton were -- even if Bryant winds up a convict, the Lakers are still the best team, with Payton, Malone and O'Neal. They have a point guard who can distribute it, who can go into the post and who can shoot from mid-range. They have a power forward who can set screens, is a threat from 15 feet and can hit the weakside boards. And, they have Shaq. If he's in shape, who cares what Bryant's legal status is?
All this is not to say that Bryant will be found guilty. That's up to lawyers and folks like Van Suestran to contemplate. As for those who prefer to talk basketball, I say this: the day the charges were brought should not be seen as a significant day, for or against the Lakers. Bryant's image will suffer, but not the team that employs him.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at [email protected]