Kobe Keeps His 'Virginity'

Kobe Bryant under Glass



BROWN: Late word out of Denver tonight, basketball star Kobe Bryant has settled a civil lawsuit brought by the woman who claims that he raped her in 2003. Mr. Bryant has maintained that their sexual encounter was consensual, though he has apologized and he said he now understand that she didn't see it as consensual. Criminal charges were dropped when the woman refused to testify. So, the settlement brings an end to the matter but something happened to Kobe Bryant along the way. His image has lost its luster.

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BROWN (voice-over): For most of his career on the basketball court, he has been sublime, made rich on the court, richer off it. If Allen Iverson was hip-hop, Kobe Bryant was Madison Avenue by design.

JOHN WERTHEIM, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": With the exception of Michael Jordan, you're unlikely to find a basketball player who is more meticulous about his image, everything from how he appears in public. He's very selective about his endorsements. BROWN: But one night in Colorado changed all of that. At the very least, it led to a public and messy admission of adultery and far worse to charges of rape. Kobe Bryant went from the perfect transition, from the era of Michael, to an accused sex offender and even in these days sex offenders don't sell much soda or candy bars.

WERTHEIM: This has done irrevocable economic harm to Kobe Bryant and it also has does harm in that sort of ineffable, incalculable sort of buzz image factor.

BROWN: Whatever exactly happened in Colorado that night he is, to be sure, no longer the NBA's golden goose, not untouchable exactly but no longer money in the bank either. His jersey used to be a top seller, no more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got Lakers merchandise but not Kobe, no and I probably wouldn't right at the moment to be honest.

BROWN: When opinion turns on you, it turns hard. Today, Bryant gets blamed for everything gone wrong with his once storied Lakers. He couldn't get along with the team's other star Shaquille O'Neal. He couldn't get along with the coach either. He wanted the spotlight all to himself, the writers write, a sort of death by column inch.

WERTHEIM: Quite apart from the legal issues, I just think on the floor Kobe isn't regarded as the player he once was. You combine that with all he's gone through and the bloodless coup of Phil Jackson, who of course is a storied coach who Kobe basically sort of cut loose and you put all that together and I think you could certainly make the case that it will take something really remarkable for us not to look back on him and say that his career peaked in 2003.

BROWN: Which doesn't mean he won't be rich and famous. It doesn't mean he won't be an all-star or win more championships but it does mean something. It means he won't be like Mike or Larry or Magic.

Whatever exactly went on in that room in Colorado, whatever went on that led to a rape charge that led to an apology that led to tonight's settlement, whatever it was virtually guarantees that if nothing else.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0503/02/asb.01.html

In a world where men keep their virginity all their lives with moves like "Hail Mary" in THE END ZONE, this is the biggest media travesty this woman has ever witnessed in her lifetime.

A young lady has intercoarse with her lover, is seduced into the room of a Lakers basketball star, is raped and sent on her way. Does the right thing by reporting to police. What ensued was a media frenzy to elevate Kobe Bryant to save 'the game' (of every nature) and save 'his worth' at the Stock Exchange.

Amazing.

A woman was given a $4 million dollar ring to control her loyalty in marriage while another woman was virtually 'screwed' out of a reputation, ridiculed only to receive financial compensation without justice. Her life was one of pain to begin with and now she'll like so many others will never feel vindicated but only pandered to while the media continues to elevate and return Kobe's Commercial Virginity.

The victim in this case continues to be 'the woman' who still is treated as a second class citizen and no one knows that better than the Denver Colorado Prosecutor. I hope the lady raked him over the coals for a bundle. At least $4.1 million !!

Justice has yet to be served. Blood on his shirt. Really? Sounds like 'Safe and Controlled Sex between strangers if I ever heard it.'

Shares in Kobe is still worth something today.