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Why do we Love/Hate Kobe? "He Ain't One of Us"

The Gree-Oh

Let me state for the record that I love Kobe Bryant! I loved that young brother the first time I saw him on Jay Leno's Late Show year's ago.

The boy had just taken the singer Brandy to his senior prom, and the whole world was talking about it. And that young, bald-headed, eighteen-year old black boy sat up there on Leno's couch under the bright lights of Hollywood, with a Colgate smile, eyes gleaming, and was radiating with pure fuckin' confidence.

I said to myself, "Well, got'damn! Look at this boy do it!" And although I was impressed with the shit, because I'm one of those old-school progressive brothers who believes in good first impressions, Kobe was doomed already with the "keep-it-real" crowd. Because those crabs-in-a-barrel niggas can only understand shit from other crabs. And Kobe Bryant was obviously a free nigga, who refused to apologize for it, or to wade in the waters with his mouth shut like Grant Hill did (and still does) when he first came out.

Truth be told, I like Kobe's brash confidence. That young motherfucka' will say whatever he wants to say at a drop of a dime. Hell, he's just like me in lot of ways. I say what the fucks on my mind too. Ya' heard me? But there's consequences for that shit. And only a few people read the shit that I gots to say. But Kobe? That's a whole different story.

He runs ball for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most celebrated NBA teams in the history of the league, who play right out there in the midst of big-money Hollywood players. So the stakes of his mouth are about 1,000-times higher than mind, and some. And a lot of folks didn't take too kindly to all that he had to say, particularly in Philadelphia when the "house nigga" and his crew (Kobe and the Lakers), went up against the "field nigga" and his crew (Allen Iverson and the Sixers).

Kobe started talkin' shit about going back home to Philly to rip hearts out, and shit like that. And he actually did it, sweepin' A.I. and the Sixers at home. So what in the world would make this young brother think that he could come back to Philly for the All-star game, and show A.I. up again, without hearing that Philly backlash for the shit? I mean, Philadelphians take their sports to heart!

That's just how they are. All you gotta do is ask any grown sports fans about Philly, and they'll let you know, "Those motherfuckers in Philly will try'da kill you for their teams!" Well, as the story went, Kobe was awarded the MVP of the All-star game, and the Philly fanatics nearly booed his ass to tears on national television. You know, they were all-expecting A.I. and Michael Jordan to do their thing for the East. But it didn't happen that way.

So Kobe, in spite of his teammate Shaq, looks to be the new king of the league, like it or not. And a lot of motherfuckers don't like it. But let me run down a little sports history for Kobe, dealing with Michael Jordan, who he wants badly to replace, and Allen Iverson, who leads the league in points, steals and overall popularity right now.

First of all, Mr. Michael "Air" Jordan was not the darling of the league either. A lot of people forget, that Jordan came into the league while we still had names like Julius Erving (the Doc), Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, James Worthy, Dominique Wilkins, Patrick Ewing, even Charles Barkley was just as popular. And the Chicago Bulls was garbage for years!

Jordan was no more than a side show with some ugly-ass red and black shoes, who scored a lot of points for a losing team. But then he finally beat Magic and the Lakers in 1991, and everything changed. The next thing you know, Magic, Worthy, Bird, Thomas, Wilkins, and Doc had all retired, and Jordan was left with only Ewing and Barkley, both of whom he destroyed. And "The Answer", Allen Iverson, we all know his story.

He's the hip-hop generation's choice, and a true "field nigga," with a history of poverty and a criminal record to boot. I remember when A.I. was still playing for the Georgetown Hoyas, who have a long rivalry with the Big East Villanova Wildcats of Philly, and every time that poor boy from Hampton, Virginia, got off the bus to Philly, those crazy-ass Villanova fans had their signs ready, screaming - "JAILBIRD!" - "CONVICT!" - "PAROLE BABY!" and all kinds of other shit.

Even Georgetown Hoyas coach John Thompson was pissed off about it. "Why don't they let this boy play basketball and live his life?" And low and behold, Allen Iverson gets drafted #1 by the Philadelphia Sixers in 1996, and they jump all over that boys dick in Philly. Until, of course, he braids his hair, slams a million tattoos all over his body, refuses to wear suits and ties, moves his whole neighbor of thugs from Hampton to Philly, and starts mouthing off at his well-respected white coach (Mr. Larry Brown).

And the next thing you know, Philly was ready to trade the best thing to happen to them since the assholes fucked up and traded away Charles Barkley. But then A.I. started to win and took the Sixers to the Championship, and all was forgiven.

So yo, Kobe . . . if you happen to read this shit right here, partner, just say, "Fuck it! They'll love me again. All I gotta do is be traded to the Sixers and win a Championship next to A.I." But until then, the crabs in the barrels will continue to say, "Yo, man, fuck Kobe Bryant! He ain't one of us. That nigga ain't never been poor."

Wisdom from The Gree-Oh Circa - 04/02 at