benny blanco
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großartiger artikel über kobe (journalist aus utah):
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[...]
Still, if you've been around Bryant at all this post-season, you have to ask: Why do so many people hate this man? He has excellent hygiene. Doesn't swear in public — much. Reportedly he's quick to pick up the lunch tab for teammates. He's polite, articulate and, yes, even humble.
Did you notice when presented the MVP trophy, last week, he credited his teammates? Were you paying attention, Sunday, when he had a wide open chance to blame his injured back for L.A.'s loss to the Jazz? Instead, he credited Andrei Kirilenko, saying, "No excuses for me. AK did a great job. Great defensive player. They just did a terrific job."
It wasn't condescending, or even tongue-in-cheek. It was genuine.
And that was after scoring 33 points.
Not all MVPs have been so generous with their praise.
Shaquille O'Neal was never good at lauding someone who blocked several of his shots. The last guy who did that was Greg Ostertag, and he got slapped to the floor for his trouble. Karl Malone wasn't good at praising opponents, either.
Yet after Wednesday's game, someone asked Bryant if he thought the Jazz would battle back, now that they're on the brink of elimination, and he replied, "That's a Jerry Sloan trait. They're going to keep coming. They don't know any other way."
It was unvarnished respect, one hyper-competitive person to another.
[...]
Sure, Bryant attempts a lot of shots; so did Jordan.
Does he get favorable treatment by the refs? Of course.
So did Jordan.
Bryant even went down the stretch of Wednesday's game doing nothing but passing.
Not even MJ did that.
Bryant made some stupid mistakes in his personal life. But he is well-spoken and agreeable. He's also the best player on the planet. In terms of comportment, competitiveness and overall savoir faire, he's a lot like you-know-who.
You know that saying "Everyone loves a winner"?
It's true.
It just gets complicated for people when he plays for someone else's team.
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