interesting: Kobe, Arianna Huffington interview

[Sedale Threatt]

Great nicknames origins do tend to come from the players themselves... It might not seem that way, but they do.

I don't agree with that at all. You mention Shaq -- his nicknames were basically an extension of his goofball personality. He was screwing around and they stuck. Kobe gives himself nicknames because he actually wants people to call him that. And that's so totally, 1,000 percent Kobe.

I can't put it any better than the Grantland guy did: He's consciously cultivating his own image and legend -- the cheetah stuff being the latest instance -- and yet he buys in completely. It's totally pretentious, but without a shred of cynicism.

That in itself is pretty unusual, and endearing, and makes me at least roll my eyes somewhat affectionately at his latest bit of myth-making. Kobe being Kobe, basically.

[crazyeights]

Kobe's very serious and intense, but I find him subtly tongue in cheek, tinged with irony. But yeah that's all intermingled with his 100% serious persona.

For me, this reminds me of the saying: "don't let the truth get in the way of a good story."

[LLcoleJ]

Great nicknames origins do tend to come from the players themselves... It might not seem that way, but they do.

I don't agree with that at all. You mention Shaq -- his nicknames were basically an extension of his goofball personality. He was screwing around and they stuck. Kobe gives himself nicknames because he actually wants people to call him that. And that's so totally, 1,000 percent Kobe.

I can't put it any better than the Grantland guy did: He's consciously cultivating his own image and legend -- the cheetah stuff being the latest instance -- and yet he buys in completely. It's totally pretentious, but without a shred of cynicism.

That in itself is pretty unusual, and endearing, and makes me at least roll my eyes somewhat affectionately at his latest bit of myth-making. Kobe being Kobe, basically.

Man I was just talking about nicknames.

Most star players cultivate image around their nicknames.I guess one needs to be a goofball to properly gloss themselves.

I am not sure I was pro or anti Kobe's nicknames method in my post, just that they ( ALL players) do this) just some do it differently.

It's whatever to me.

[Sedale Threatt]

Kobe's very serious and intense, but I find him subtly tongue in cheek, tinged with irony. But yeah that's all intermingled with his 100% serious persona.

For me, this reminds me of the saying: "don't let the truth get in the way of a good story."

See, that's the thing -- I don't think Kobe is capable of irony. Which is what makes this stuff hilarious. Matt Bonner is ironic. Kobe is Kobe, selling AND buying at the same time. It's very Spinal Tapish.

[Sedale Threatt]

Man I was just talking about nicknames.

So was I, for the most part.

[LLcoleJ]

Man I was just talking about nicknames.

So was I, for the most part.

I added some more to the post.

[Sedale Threatt]

Man I was just talking about nicknames.

So was I, for the most part.

I added some more to the post.

Yup, it's absolutely whatever. I just find Kobe's personality highly amusing when it manifests itself like this. It's just so...earnest. There's something almost charming about it. But it's also very, very easy to poke fun.

Certainly most players, the vast majority, at least on Kobe's level, are actively cultivating an image. They're essentially mini-corporations. I just disagree that the majority of players give themselves nicknames. I mean, it happens. Pretty sure Karl Malone called himself the Mailman. Shaq, obviously. But the majority? Not even close, in my opinion.

Take LeBron -- fairly sure the "Chosen One" moniker (very high douche bag quotient) was originally a Sports Illustrated cover from when he was in high school. Or King James. Yeah, not exactly humble, but it at least has historic context, and it sounds cool. Durant actively shoots down nicknames, the majority of which have been just as dumb as Black Mamba or, especially, Vino.

Cap -- teammate given. Magic -- media. Larry Legend -- media. Air Jordan -- marketing campaign, media. Wilt the Stilt -- media. Hakeem the Dream -- media. Iceman -- teammate. Dr. J -- teammate. The Big Fundamental -- Shaq. And on and on...

[LLcoleJ]

So was I, for the most part.

I added some more to the post.

Yup, it's absolutely whatever. I just find Kobe's personality highly amusing when it manifests itself like this. It's just so...earnest. There's something almost charming about it. But it's also very, very easy to poke fun.

Certainly most players, the vast majority, at least on Kobe's level, are actively cultivating an image. They're essentially mini-corporations. I just disagree that the majority of players give themselves nicknames. I mean, it happens. Pretty sure Karl Malone called himself the Mailman. Shaq, obviously. But the majority? Not even close, in my opinion.

Take LeBron -- fairly sure the "Chosen One" moniker (very high douche bag quotient) was originally a Sports Illustrated cover from when he was in high school. Or King James. Yeah, not exactly humble, but it at least has historic context, and it sounds cool. Durant actively shoots down nicknames, the majority of which have been just as dumb as Black Mamba or, especially, Vino.

Cap -- teammate given. Magic -- media. Larry Legend -- media. Air Jordan -- marketing campaign, media. Wilt the Stilt -- media. Hakeem the Dream -- media. Iceman -- teammate. Dr. J -- teammate. The Big Fundamental -- Shaq. And on and on...

Haha. Ok. I am sorry I even quoted you. I know where this is going. Moving on.

[Slava]

I think Vino was suggested by someone random on twitter and Kobe ran with it. I can understand actively trying to enforce a nickname when the alternative is being called "Bean".

[Sedale Threatt]

I think Vino was suggested by someone random on twitter and Kobe ran with it. I can understand actively trying to enforce a nickname when the alternative is being called "Bean".

Could be. But I kind of like Bean, to be honest. It's at least authentic.

[ennui]

I concur with the affinity for "Bean"; it's at least somewhat endearing. Although "Black Mamba" has grown on me, it's a little overwrought and ham-fisted. It's almost as if he's trying to reinforce the "win-at-all-costs" image he's worked so hard to cultivate.

[MistyMountain20]

Great nicknames origins do tend to come from the players themselves... It might not seem that way, but they do.

I don't agree with that at all. You mention Shaq -- his nicknames were basically an extension of his goofball personality. He was screwing around and they stuck. Kobe gives himself nicknames because he actually wants people to call him that. And that's so totally, 1,000 percent Kobe.

I can't put it any better than the Grantland guy did: He's consciously cultivating his own image and legend -- the cheetah stuff being the latest instance -- and yet he buys in completely. It's totally pretentious, but without a shred of cynicism.

That in itself is pretty unusual, and endearing, and makes me at least roll my eyes somewhat affectionately at his latest bit of myth-making. Kobe being Kobe, basically.

Did you forget about Shaq protesting anybody else using the name superman.

Idk, sounds like you read too much Grantland.

[Sedale Threatt]

A. I did forget about that. That was about as juvenile as it gets. Shaq at his worst.

B. I love Grantland.

[TyCobb]

I'd definitely classify Black Mamba as a marketing campaign.

[dockingsched]

There is no such thing as reading too much grantland

[Kilroy]

Pretty sure Kobe wins the internet when we spend a page and a half analyzing his nick names... Yes I know I started it...

[MistyMountain20]

A. I did forget about that. That was about as juvenile as it gets. Shaq at his worst.

B. I love Grantland.

Right...but you said that the way Kobe identifies with nicknames is unique to his being; he wants to be known by them to heighten his "mythical perception".

I don't know, looking at the article that you guys pointed to from Grantland, I just shrug. I'm not surprised that it was written in that tone, two of the prominent people on that website usually take that tone with Kobe. I mean, that example is so incredibly lame; "do you love basketball or are you crazy? Both" - woah, look at that egomaniac, Kobe being Kobe, that delusional bastard, it's funny because he believes it. I'm sorry to say, that expression is quite common, it isn't a highlight of him just trying to mythologize his name, it's something people say to be funny, amusing.

The article reads like they're rolling his eyes at what he says and laughing at his expense. I find myself rolling my eyes at the article for them to come to this convoluted conclusion to such an innocuous comment and that people actually buy it, who really cares about it that much to think like that.

Seems to be a presence on that website that wants to mock Bryant to knock him down a few pegs, a complete backhanded compliment. Maybe the rest of their stuff is great (their draft was dreadful, that I remember), but not so much on this.

[Sedale Threatt]

Right...but you said that the way Kobe identifies with nicknames is unique to his being; he wants to be known by them to heighten his "mythical perception".

I think that's absolutely true, at least the latter bit. As for being totally unique in that regard, I still think it's clear that he and Shaq were coming at this stuff from different angle. But it's a good example that Bryant isn't the only one, and I recognize that, and I'm giving you credit for it.

The article reads like they're rolling his eyes at what he says and laughing at his expense.

Well...yeah. Basically what I'm doing with the whole thing about using a cheetah's biomechanics to improve his turnaround jumper when in fact he grew up watching a isht ton of Jordan and Jordan did the same thing.

Kobe is absolutely ripe for parody, and when you step outside the Laker echo chamber it's pretty easy to see that. I mean, even he poked fun of himself a little bit with those "Kobe System" commercials from a few years ago. (Another thing I was wrong about, saying he isn't capable of irony when those were very much so.)

I don't necessarily know if it's laughing at his expense or whatever as much as just laughing as something that strikes me and obviously others as funny. I do the same with others -- LeBron's hairline and some of his ridiculous missteps, i.e. "not three, not four...", Tim Duncan's clothes, KG's habit for picking fights with 6-2 Europeans -- so why would he be any different? Because he plays for my team? I've never been that kind of fan...

As for Grantland, everybody gets hung up on Simmons, for obvious reasons. (And I do think he's a fantastic, funny writer, if occasionally intolerable.)

But Zach Lowe is about as good as it gets in terms of analysis and they've got an NFL guy who is almost as good. Jonathan Abrams does wonderful NBA features and takeouts. I love their pop culture stuff, including probably my favorite movie critic. In short, there's a ton of quality stuff on there, so to get upset or boycott because they say some negative things about this player or that seems a little thin-skinned to me.

[Kilroy]

You got Kobe and Ariana Huffington being interviewed together... This is a fundamentally ironic interview...

But what is more ironic than the interview itself, is the idea that someone would read it expecting a hard hitting, factual, sports news report.

Other than the fact it's Kobe talking, this article probably has no business on RealGM.

[Slava]

But Zach Lowe is about as good as it gets in terms of analysis and they've got an NFL guy who is almost as good. Jonathan Abrams does wonderful NBA features and takeouts. I love their pop culture stuff, including probably my favorite movie critic. In short, there's a ton of quality stuff on there, so to get upset or boycott because they say some negative things about this player or that seems a little thin-skinned to me.

I can actually tolerate SImmons and look forward to his mailbags. They are usually hilarious and he has the ability to poke fun at himself and Boston teams to keep things light.

However I'd much appreciate if the basketball guys mainly Lowe can be as objective as their football and baseball people. Bill Barnwell is an excellent writer, great at unearthing the most obscure of stats and making correlations to previous games, same with Jonah Keri and baseball.

However you have to occasionally bear/skip the hipster arts major smugness that comes with certain writers, most notably that infamous Smush Parker article and Lowe taking subtle jabs at the Lakers calling the management clueless and lacking a plan at any opportunity possible.

I mean he even said the current Warriors are as good as our repeat teams in terms of talent. I mean that team won 67 games and was just thoroughly dominant since the Grammy road trip in the regular season.