Wednesday March 05, 2008 09:19AM ET

How is Kobe Bryant, the L.A. beloved, playing elsewhere? Is Colorado ancient history for the folks in Nebraska, Florida and Maine? Does the image of a selfish basketball player, advanced in part by Phil Jackson's book and the split with Shaq, linger? "He still struggles," said Matt Delzell, senior client manager for the Davie Brown talent agency, which ranks athletes and celebrities in eight categories to determine their viability as endorsers. "Kobe has a high awareness number, so people know who he is, but when it comes to trust, appeal, influence and such things, he scores below the average score for everyone else in seven out of seven categories."
- Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers5mar05,1,7533199.column?ctrack=4&cset=true