For better or worse, Kobe's good for NBA

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 12, 2006 | by Loren Jorgensen Deseret Morning News

Kobe Bryant, three weeks ago tonight, scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. As far as I've been able to figure out, it was the most points scored in a single game -- at any level -- since over-aged high school student Michael J. Fox went on that amazing offensive binge in "Teen Wolf" back in the mid-'80s. And Fox was aided by the fact that he was only half human at the time and the opposition offered little defensive resistance.

(Then again, maybe that's not so different. Some think Kobe is only half human and the Raptors' defense that night was, well, Washington General-like.)

In any event, Bryant's 81 points -- in his 666th career regular season game, no less -- is a mark we may never see again. It trails only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point outing 44 years earlier on the NBA's list of points in a game.

And now Kobe is back, ready to make an impact on Madison Avenue. Nike has finally decided -- more than two years later -- that Bryant is safe to be used in a national TV campaign.

"Kobe's inclusion in marketing and promotional material is an acknowledgment of his elevated level of sports performance," Nike said in a statement.

Maybe you caught the new commercials during Thursday night's debut on TNT or perhaps Friday or Saturday night during the Jazz games.

Nike, you may recall, signed Bryant to a deal years ago. But before they could put him up as Jordanesque shoe salesman, Kobe ran into a few off-the-court problems -- and we're not talking about running Shaquille O'Neal out of Los Angeles, either.

Rape allegations against Bryant in Eagle, Colo., in the summer of 2003 cost the already-controversial player millions in endorsement deals. The criminal charges, of course, were later dropped when the alleged victim refused to testify after months of court appearances and distractions for the Lakers. The parties settled a civil suit out of court.

The Nike ads actually talk about how Kobe is disliked as much -- or probably more -- than he is admired. Bryant, in fact, seems to wear others' disdain for him as a badge of honor.

The commercial shows Bryant shooting free throws, then doing other drills and lifting weights. His voice narrates, "Love me or hate me, it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fade-away, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved, for the exact same reasons."

And you know what? He's right. He certainly is one of the top basketball players on the planet and he is both hated and loved. Whether or not the ads will sell millions of Zoom Kobe I sneakers remains to be seen, but it is Nike's right to use him as a spokesperson -- just as it was the right of McDonald's and Nutella to drop him following the rape charges.

The fact remains that Bryant is good for the game. To some he is an arrogant jerk, who is selfish, uncoachable and a guy who's fame and fortune got him out of a deserved prison stint. To others he is the epitome of hard work combined with otherworldly talent who makes any team he plays on better and who got unfairly damaged by a gold- digger in Colorado.

Regardless of what you think of him, the NBA needs players like Bryant who can bring out such emotions, pro and con. LeBron James, for one, is a great player and amazed Jazz fans with his 51 points in the Delta Center earlier this year. But he's not a villain -- and villains are good for the game. James got a standing ovation from Jazz fans when he left three weeks ago. Let's just say if Bryant went off for 51 in the Delta Center, the reaction would be far different -- and there certainly wouldn't be a standing ovation, except from the people wearing Lakers jerseys.

Like soap operas, the NBA needs guys you love to hate. The Jazz played the Lakers in back-to-back games in early January, and Bryant missed them both due to a league suspension. Utah, not coincidentally, won both games. But I'm guessing most of the Delta Center fans would have rather seen Bryant on the floor in that Jan. 3 game for a couple of reasons. First, to have someone to vehemently cheer against, and second, to watch in amazement at his basketball ability. When the Jazz beat the Lakers without Kobe, it was a hollow victory.

Monday night in L.A., the Jazz will face the Lakers one last time this season. Bryant will be on the court. Love him or hate him, it will certainly make for good television.

E-mail: lojo@desnews.com