Summer of 2003

[TheHartBreakKid]

Ok, so I've been a Laker fan since the 2001 finals, but the 2003 season was the year that I actively started to watch every game. Despite that, I hadn't reach "die-hard" status, which involves coming to sites like realgm and following the team religiously. So I wasn't on realgm in the summer of 2003, when the infamous Kobe rape trial occured, and due to me being only a middle school kid back then, I didn't grasp the situation. I also didn't read and discuss the events with fellow Laker fans, as I'm sure many you old-timers did, whether on realgm or through other methods. So I'm curious, what was the general reaction/vibe during that summer? How did everyone originally react to hearing about Kobe's rape trial. How did that affect your view of Kobe? How did the rest of the team/org react to the case. What about the fanbase as a whole? Was everyone worried about the future of the team and Kobe's future? How was Kobe's image as a whole affected?

Also, what about the Kobe Shaq drama before the season started? Who did most of the fanbase side with? How optimistic was everyone regarding oru chances that year when Payton and Malone signed. Was the general consensus that the Lakers would continue with the Shaq-Kobe core, or were people concerned that we might lose one of them? What was the general outlook regarding the future of the team?

I'm sorry if this is inapporpiate, but I'm just curious, and I haven't seen this discussed except on the gb occasionally which usually ends with some idiot insulting Kobe and a flame war occuring before the thread is locked.

It's just funny how after these years the trial is pretty much forgotten in the eyes of the media and the public. I just thought it would raise some interesting discussion.

[JohnVancouver]

Initially, I thought the worst of Kobe. Then I rethought it and figured, ok, he's married and he's cheating on the road but it could easily be blackmail. Why would he be inclined to rape anyone? He's Kobe Bryant - plenty of willing partners.
It did color my regard for him, though not as a player.
What made me think less of him was the playoff against the Suns when he literally stopped shooting, in a sulk, in game 7 - 'think i'm shooting too much? Ok, fine, I won't shoot at all."
I thought it was unbelievably petulant and childish.

All things considered - the guy's flat-out amazing, one of the ten greatest of all-time, which is a hell of a list - Oscar, Wilt, Kareem, Dr J, Russell, MJ, those guys.

[DEEP3CL]

What made me think less of him was the playoff against the Suns when he literally stopped shooting, in a sulk, in game 7 - 'think i'm shooting too much? Ok, fine, I won't shoot at all."
I thought it was unbelievably petulant and childish.

Nope......this is kinda inaccurate JV, he didn't stop shooting to prove a point to teammates. Do you even remember his guys from that 07 squad ? The team was putrid and the fans even knew it.....real Laker fans. His move was clearly directed at Dr.Buss. Buss had made a promise to Kobe to rebuild the team quickly, it was a lie. All Doc was doing was using Kobe as his cash cow.

[Jakay]

Everyone else on the team had given up by that point in the game too (most the game before if I remember), so it only made sense for him to join the crowd.

I never thought it was him sulking so much as proving a point to his teammates when it was obvious it was over. Turns out it went well beyond that. Learn something new every day.

[JohnVancouver]

I wasn't up on Lakerworld politics or internal stuff at that point, just how it looked from outside

[DEEP3CL]

I wasn't up on Lakerworld politics or internal stuff at that point, just how it looked from outside

You thought what EVERYBODY thought at that time. It had absolutely nothing to do with his teammates as I said though. It was just funny that everybody thought that at the time.

[JohnVancouver]

I wasn't up on Lakerworld politics or internal stuff at that point, just how it looked from outside

You thought what EVERYBODY thought at that time. It had absolutely nothing to do with his teammates as I said though. It was just funny that everybody thought that at the time.

Just read the Simers invu and he says the same thing - "I scored 50 and we lost, so I decided to try passing."

Great interview - I find myself liking Kobe

[AdonisDeMarion]

I didn't care about the rape thing, to be honest I think she gave it up to him ad cried rape in the end, the trick settled out of court anyway if I remember, that was so long ago and I'm not a young guy either...