There has been some, not much though, talk of Kobe's recent rash of elbows being categorized under the topic "Kobe hates white people." I'll go a step further. Kobe Bryant is a racist. And this is not some catchy title or intro. It is a fact.Racism is defined as: "1)The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others; 2) Discrimination or prejudice based on race." In today's modern society and mixture of clashes there is a theory that racism can only exist if used by those with power for those without power cannot impact significantly as they lack power. Fine, we'll even accept that theory.
Kobe has been attacking whites on the basketball court. He has demonstrated, repeatedly, a dislike of whites to the point where he has taken cheap shots and committed violent acts on his white opponents. And only white opponents. He has been discriminating in his attacks, undoubtedly I would submit.
Let's start out with the facts:
A. There are only 89 white players in the NBA, who make up 19.7% of the total 450 players in the league.
B. Mathematically, if you randomly hit a player in the NBA, the chances of it being a white player four times in a row would be 1-in-40 or exactly 2.5%.
C. Kobe victim #1 was Mike Miller of the Grizzlies
D. Victim #2 was Manu Ginobili of the Spurs
E. Victim #3 was Marko Jaric of the Timberwolves [see Ginobili above link]
F. Victim #4 was Kyle Korver of the Sixers
G. Kobe was accused of rape in 2003 of a 19 year-old white woman in Colorado.
H. Kobe admits in his police statement he wanted to cum in the woman's face.
I. Kobe was booed by Philadelphia fans during the 2002 All-Star game as a sign of displeasure of Kobe claiming to be a Philly native when in fact he is from a wealthy suburb.
J. Kobe grew up in a self-described upper middle class environment in Europe and the U.S. surrounded predominantly by whites.
If you do not think his wild elbows on the court are intentional then you do not know basketball or you are lying to yourself. Kobe has violently hit white opponents over and over. Does this make him a racist? Yes. But why is Kobe acting like this now? It seems to be a basic case of a volano starting to erupt. Of course in typical Kobe fashion, he erupts in calculated, veiled actcs and then pretends he is innocent. He is what used to be called a classic chickenshit racist.
Kobe Bryant is lashing out at whites to compensate for his own insecurities of being black. Or not being black enough. He is perceived, rightfully so, by both black and white fans as not being like other blacks in the NBA. Philly fans, including a very vocal black contingent, disapproved of Kobe trying to claim he was a Philly native-- his attemps to fake urban credibility were rebuffed loudly. His teammates viewed him as a spoiled know-it-all mommy's boy who could not socialize with them whatsoever. He got entangled in a very nasty and public rape case where it became worldwide knowledge he, putting it kindest, had some form of sex with a 19-year old white woman who within 12 hours of the incident filed rape charges against him.
Simply put, Kobe was too white for his own liking after being too white for the liking of so many others. So, to earn credibility with black players and fans and to exact measures of revenge, he has been going after white players in violent acts. He would not dare do so to a black player, of course. That is because he would be scared to do so and wants to be one with them in at least one way. Does Kobe sit at home thinking about killing white people or dislike white people he encounters in his everyday life? Doubtful. But if he only targets whites in this rash of violent acts on the court then that is enough for me to believe the man has problems, serious problems.
-Mr. West
Mr. East Thoughts
Well, well, well. Mr. West is certainly stepping in it with this post. Interesting. I can't say I have a feeling one way or the other about whether he's right or way off on this point. The elbowing issue paints the most compelling picture for me. The rape issue may or may not be tied up in some psycho-sexual issues that Kobe has regarding power and race. I'm not qualified to say one way or the other, although it's a nice theory. Here's my take on Kobe:
Kobe Bryant has zero "street credibility". Why is that important? It's important because the modern NBA locker room is a microcosm of urban America. The NBA locker room is the place you are most likely to find an entourage. It's the place you are most likely to hear hip hop. It's the place you are most likely to get straight down home Evangelical African-American Christianity. Certainly the NFL features this kind of environment as well, but there's a broader range of personalities that inhabit that world. You get the Alice Cooper types, and the corn fed country music kids. The NBA is straight up street. Street, Kobe is not.
There's nothing to be ashamed of as Kobe Bryant. You are a fairly good looking guy. Educated, despite not going to college, and worldly, having grown up in Italy. He clearly needs that credibility though. He needs to fit in. Sports can be a very collective society, and Kobe is not only an outsider in terms of his personal background, but also an individualist in terms of his game. The acceptance comes from shared cultural experience and shared team goals. It's hard for Bryant to convince anyone that he's in fact sharing those things with his teammates.
That much, I'm fairly sure of. The racial component is a tricky call. The urban cultural component is an easy read for me. Racial distinction has as much to do with individual perceptions of the world around you and your own self-image. Knowing that, it's entirely possible that Kobe perceives himself as something(culturally "Black"), but is not perceived by others that way. The disconnect may cause him some psychological trauma that manifests itself in "lashing out" episodes as inane as the elbows, or as serious as the rape allegations. I'm only an amateur psychologist, so I don't know any of it for sure. Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
-Mr. East
