Kobe_Bryant_and_Alex_Rodriguez

KOBE BRYANT Alex Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant dominate the games of baseball and basketball. Rodriguez is on his way to breaking baseball’s home run record set by the disparaged Barry Bonds. Kobe Bryant has won his fourth NBA championship and is widely considered to be the second best at his position. What these two have accomplished is remarkable, but what is more fascinating is how much they differ from their peers. Kobe is one of the great enigmas in sports, once touted as the next Michael Jordan, he has been one of the most polarizing figures in all of sports, he put the opinions of him best in 2006, “ Hate my swagger, hate my jumper, hate that I’m a veteran, hate that, hate it with all your heart, hate that I’m loved for the exact same reasons”. Alex was baseball’s great white hope when baseball was trying to bring back the alienated fans after the 1994 strike. Alex has become vilified and misunderstood but revered for his play, something that he has tried to move past by beginning to ignore the media’s perception of him, “In Seattle, when I played there, I acted perfect and everyone loved me, now I’m not perfect and I love it”[1]. Kobe has clashed with teammates, coaches, and his front office. Alex has moved to two different teams leaving both times in an ugly separation. These two have captivated audiences around the country; there is only a short list of players that can compete with either of them athletically. Yet there is an even shorter list who we can compare these two on a personal level. They are the products of unusual upbringings. But they are always examined and held far away from the team. They have both been the most marketable and most hated stars of the game. It is possible that the media is completely to blame for their image. If these two were stars in the 1920s, Grantland Rice would have ensured that these two would become mythical, looking at Kobe as the ultimate competitor, Rice would write about Alex’s sweet eyes and smile and the contrast to the focus he has when he is on the field in a positive outlook. Today, because the media is so gargantuan they follow athlete’s lives just to get ratings or readers on their blogs. What they are missing are two players that come once in a generation and failing to appreciate them while they can still be grateful for it. Kobe Bryant was born August 23 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a basketball family. His father Joe Bryant played for the Philadelphia 76ers and his mother is the sister of John Cox, a player for the Chicago Bulls at the time of Kobe’s birth [3]. Joe played on a team that is remembered for their character more than the game. Darryl Dawkins was one of the first to ever go from high school to the NBA and would call every dunk with a ridiculous moniker such as, “In your face disgrace” and “Get out the wayin', back-door swayin', game delayin', if you ain't groovin' you best get movin' dunk”. World B. Free was a revolutionary scorer who always helped the 76ers score when they needed to, this included his opponents as well though as he was a terrible defender. Doug Collins was a player who many remember as making the free throws that sealed Team USA’s victory in the 1972 Olympic final against Russia. Unfortunately the officials decided to add three seconds to the game and the Russians received their only Olympic Gold in basketball. But the star of stars was the captivating Julius Erving who captured the imaginations of the audiences with his ability to hold the basketball like a tennis ball and fly through the air despite the massive wind resistance from one of the biggest afros of the game. Joe was outmatched for significant minutes and was considered expendable. The 76ers traded Joe to the San Diego clippers where he played for three seasons until he was traded again to the Houston Rockets. After a single season in Houston, Joe took a lucrative offer to play basketball professionally in Italy [3]. And so at the age of six, Kobe would spend his formative years in a country foreign to him and his family. He was able to adjust to the language barrier by learning to speak the language like a native. But being an outsider for so long gave Kobe that sort of outlook that wouldn’t leave him anytime soon. Victor Rodriguez was born in 1929 in the Dominican Republic. He was a man with the potential for success but lacked the right circumstances. Living in the Dominican Republic during the early twentieth century was hard not only because of the meager conditions of South America but also because of the Dictator Rafael Trujillo. He used fake elections to retain power and ruled over his people using fear. Trujillo was so monstrous he had dreamed of purging the continent of the people’s African heritage going as far as trying to whiten his own skin. Victor Rodriguez was a freedom fighter against Trujillo; he worked as an editor for an anti-Trujillo newspaper. In 1959 at a bar Trujillo’s thugs confronted him and beat him with brass knuckles [1]. In 1961 Trujillo was assassinated and an air of freedom was spread over the entire island. Victor moved to America and had Alex in July of 1975 in the Washington Heights area of New York City. He was a shoe salesman and had a storefront home near a yeshiva. Victor like his son, Alex played baseball and had a passion for the game that translated into a great knowledge of the game. As a catcher, he parlayed his knowledge of pitches into being a successful hitter. He played until at 36 his body could not handle it anymore. While Alex was young the two would listen to baseball games on the radios and Victor would parlay his knowledge of the game to a young Alex [1]. Playing a game of basketball with his peers was a rarity for young Kobe. Soccer was the sport that everyone played and to his chagrin, on the basketball court is where many games were played. He adjusted though and played soccer until they left [3]. This is when Kobe was at his happiest when it was he and his basketball. Despite being in foreign country, Kobe still was able to keep tabs on the NBA season by taping games. By taping the games he allowed him self something to emulate his game after. Magic Johnson the Lakers point guard was a player of particular admiration for a young Kobe. After six years in Italy, Joe retired from professional basketball and moved his family to the Philadelphia suburb, Lower Merion. The Rodriguez family moved from Washington Heights to the Dominican Republic in 1979. Baseball is the national pass time in the Latin country, more so than in America. Children play games there like Platicka, a game where in a field of knee high grass the pitcher aims the at the old license plates that clutter the field and the hitter aims to protect the plate [1]. They managed to play most of the time with makeshift bats, gloves and balls. It was a rarity for anyone to have one if all of the things that young players take for granted in the United States. Alex was one of the more competitive kids out there and normally would compete against boys two to three years older than he was. When people would see how competitive Alex was and how skilled he was they expected his father to have a large hand in it. That was not the case at all the effort came from Alex. Victor was contented with the sheer joy that it brought his young son, “It made me feel good that he had something that always made him smile.” They lived a charmed life in the Dominican Republic but the family shoe store that Victor had left to the care of his relatives went under and some of his investments that he had made in the Island were not paying off. By 1981 the family moved to Miami. Victor began to grow restless with his life in Miami and longed for the hustle and bustle that New York City provided [1]. He tried to enlist his family to join him but they insisted they were done with the cold winters and the bad memories that New York provided them in the late seventies, and with the crack epidemic of the time they wanted to stay away as long as possible. Victor was convinced though that with his credit in the Empire State he could do better there. In 1985 he took one suitcase and left without Alex realizing for how long he would be out of his life. Alex and Victor were both heartbroken by the distance. Alex would stop bouncing a ball whenever he heard a car just to see if his father was coming home, “What did I know back then'” “I thought he was coming back. I thought he had gone to the store or something, but he never came back. He had been so good to me, actually spoiled me because I was the baby of the family. I couldn’t understand what he had done. I still don’t know how a man could do that to his family: turn his back.” [1] Alex would often watch other kids playing with their dads. After school he would often check his parents room to see if his father was napping. Victor was free in a sense to do what ever he pleased but he still missed his young son, “I cannot describe it. Sometimes, when I woke up, my face was covered with tears. I was crying. I gave so much love to that small child.” Alex grew up with a family that all took to looking after him trying desperately to make up for the fact that he would grow up with out a father. The adjustment from Italy to the United States was something that Kobe wasn’t ready for. In Italy and with his parents the only English that he would speak, is the kind used in a textbook that the Italians learned. Learning the slang and the culture of Americans was something foreign to him, unfortunate because this was where he was supposed to feel at home. He grew to be guarded from his peers. Basketball was his sanctuary because basketball was universal; a basketball court was where there was no trouble understanding Kobe Bryant and where he could understand everyone else. Kobe attended Lower Merion High School and had a remarkable high school career. He surpassed the states record for points in a career set by mythical Philadelphia native Wilt Chamberlain. Kobe was noteworthy at other parts of the game as well; he led the team in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He was a McDonalds All American and the Naismith player of the year. He scored a 1080 on his SAT and maintained a B average [3]; the top schools in the nations were his to choose from. Unfortunately for them he couldn’t wait to fulfill his childhood dream. Juan Diego Artega was his first baseball coach and became a father figure to Alex. Artega made sure he always had a new glove, the entry fee to a league never dropping off Alex to an empty house. Alex even became best friends with his son, J.D. Alex would excel at an early age, whether he knew it or not though Alex always had his fathers’ knowledge of the game echoing in his mind to guide him, “Play the ball, don’t let the ball play you.” [1]Alex would play with boys two to three years older than he was but always stood out because his reflexes and focus were superior to his teammates. It is these two things that give Alex an incredible edge in any sport that he competes in. As a young man he contemplated putting all of his effort into basketball, as a freshman he was able to dunk the basketball, and with quick feet and a passion he displayed for baseball he was recruited to play basketball at Christopher Columbus Catholic High School [1]. He even complained of being bored with the game of baseball. His family held an intervention where they reminded Alex that he loved the game of baseball more than anything, that this phase was just that, and nothing else. Alex transferred to Westminster Christian School his sophomore year of high school. Alex had to deal with the loss of another father though that same year. During one of his baseball games his first coach and stand in father collapsed of a heart attack during one of his games and a helicopter had to take him to the hospital. Alex couldn’t bear the pain of seeing Mr. Artega in pain, he didn’t take into account that these were his last moments, “ I felt someone had torn my heart out and smashed it”, “…I know Mr. Artega and his family have forgiven me for not showing up to the hospital, I’m not sure if I’ve forgiven myself.” [1] He was a top prospect in high school. He had Major League teams fawning over him to the point where they videotaped him constantly to make sure they knew of every injury that he would sustain. They marveled at all he could do on the field, hit with power, his speed on the bases, his fielding, hitting for numbers. His confidence was always there as well, he looked at one of the cameras watching him swing, “ Hey chuck, (Chuck Armstrong, president of the Seattle Mariners) this is Alex. And I can’t wait to get to Seattle” [1]. An honor roll student, he could pick all the top baseball schools in the nation. He chose to commit to University of Miami. But in 1993 the Mariners made Alex their number one pick in the amateur draft. After a lengthy hold out where he almost went to Miami University his agent, Scott Boras, negotiated a deal for Alex. Kobe declared himself eligible for the 1996 NBA draft, and at 6’5 was the shortest to do so out of high school. This didn’t stop general managers from taking strong looks at Kobe Bryant. During a pre-draft workout in Los Angeles, GM Jerry West pitted Kobe against legendary defender Michael Cooper and “marched over these people” [3], as West said. West told Kobe’s agent that he had a chance to be one of the great players of all time. Other teams were interested as well but not to the extent that West was. On draft day the Lakers traded their starting center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the draft rights to their 13th pick, Kobe Bryant. The Lakers were not done making moves that summer; they then signed the superstar Shaquille O’Neal with the hopes that the two would be a dynasty for years to come. Kobe had a tough time adjusting to life in Los Angeles at first. His teammates were not only a number of years older than Kobe was but many had families of their own that they had to look after. And Kobe struggled to find minutes as a rookie behind a talented backcourt of fellow Philadelphia native Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Kobe would do everything he could to make sure he made an impact when he was on the court. He was dynamic anytime he would get in the game, titillating fans with his skill and athleticism that they compared to a young Michael Jordan. His rookie season he won the slam-dunk contest and was the best rookie in the rookie all-star game. Kobe saw increased playing time as the season wore on and in the playoffs saw what was, to him a challenge he was dieing for. As the Lakers were facing elimination from the veteran Utah Jazz, Kobe was the one with the ball in the last second, to win or lose the game, the only one as O’Neal put it, “was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that.” [3] He put up three consecutive air balls and his rookie season was over. After a brief stint with the Mariners minor league team the Calgary Cannons, Alex made his pro debut on July 8th 1994. They were projecting him to be one of the best players ever. In April Alex batted ninth in the rotation but by May he was batting second in front of the Mariners previous hot new star Ken Griffey Jr. Alex exploded, he batted .360 and hit thirteen home runs and 46 RBI. He was able to feast upon the batters that feared the hitting of Griffey coming right after Alex. He was able to get a lot of fastballs that he clearly feasted upon. Alex even acknowledged it, “The most obvious thing Junior does for me is get me better pitches” [1]. He was invited to play in the all star game that year and his dream occurred, Cal Ripken Jr., approached Alex and spoke of how thrilled he was to meet him. Alex was giddy, the tall shortstop with the offensive game who Alex always looked up to, was talking to him. Alex was the hottest thing in baseball; bags of letters with marriage proposals were marked for Alex, or A-Rod. The nickname first appeared in the spring of 1996 when Alex was spotted writing “A-Rod” in capital letters on his equipment [1]. His teammates started to pick up the nickname and eventually the local Mariners announcer. Alex was now a one named superstar. Ken Griffey Jr., the three named superstar and Alex had a lousy relationship. Kobe came back his second year visibly stronger with a new haircut and the intensity of a man set out to prove he was passed the air balls of his past season. Kobe was named an All Star starter in 1998 despite still playing behind Eddie Jones. Kobe had an intense focus on that day, Michael Jordan, was playing in what many believed to be his last All-Star Game and Kobe wanted the chance to prove that he was better than Michael. He insisted on defending him one on one blowing off the help defenders he saw coming and attacked him on the offensive end of the court. Kobe was good; he had 18 points to lead the western conference in scoring. Michael Jordan was great, with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Eastern Conference to a win and his last All-Star MVP award [3]. His season was cut short again by Utah, this time by a sweep. The Lakers that off-season decided to trade Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones to create more room in the backcourt for Kobe. Unfortunately the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs swept them again that post-season. That off-season the Lakers decided that the talents of O’Neal and Bryant were not going to do much good until there was a coach who could utilize their talents to win the championships they needed Phil Jackson was a success in his previous coaching tenure in Chicago, winning six NBA championships in an eight year run. Surprisingly, to get those staggering results Jackson employed some strange tactics. He was more of a teacher than a traditional coach where a traditional coach would berate a player after a mistake, Jackson used a 5-1 ratio of positive to negative responses to his player’s mistakes [2]. He was known to meditate with his teams, have practices where they would pass with an imaginary ball, film sessions that were made with clips of cartoons and historical figures. But his greatest challenge of all was getting the Lakers to play together particularly his two brightest stars, Kobe and Shaq. The two had been teammates for four years at that point (2000) and hadn’t developed the friendship or chemistry that West envisioned when he paired the two. Kobe felt that O’Neal wasn’t serious enough, and O’Neal felt that Kobe was too serious. Kobe complained about O’Neal’s inability to make free throws and his poor conditioning and O’Neal complained about Kobe’s knack for shooting it every time he got the ball. Jackson was able to bring out the best in the two players; with him as the coach they moved the ball more freely to one another. Ken Griffey Jr. was the best young player before Alex. In 1987 he was drafted first overall out of high school, junior amazed baseball fans everywhere with his uppercut swing and his superb center fielding [1]. He tried to warn Alex that the press was merely building Alex up so they could tear him down. Woody Woodward was the general manager of the Mariners at the time and he noted the dynamic to their relationship, “I think Junior wanted to protect him but I’m not sure how that was perceived by Alex”. He had legitimate concerns over Alex’s off days. While the Mariners were in New York, Alex appeared on David Letterman’s Show at night then helicopter to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to sell memorabilia on cable network QVC [1]. It turned out Alex was capable at juggling the circus. The Mariners beat the Yankees three out of four on the road and Alex went 8 for 20 with 2 home runs. Junior was annoyed at constantly being compared to Alex Rodriguez. Griffey didn’t like that even though he had to take the responsibility for the losses, Alex was the teams biggest celebrity. During the 1996 season many were touting the two as equally impressive candidates for the MVP. Alex promptly dodged the talk, “How can I be the MVP when I’m not the MVP of my own team” [1]. The talk was cheap though as one of his teammates is quoted as saying, “Alex always said publicly how much he looked up to Junior, but Junior knew Alex was playing both sides in the clubhouse. He wasn’t honest during that MVP shit” [1]. A-Rod was smart about portraying himself as grateful for being successful in the majors but he had the confidence to play well, he had been envisioning his play for years. He was publicly upset that Ken Griffey Jr. had received more votes for the MVP award than he did. A few reporters were perplexed at his reaction considering what he had said earlier. Little did they know that this was one when he truly went into becoming one of the strangest people in baseball. In 1998 Alex hired his cousin, “Judy”, real name Yuri Sucrat to work as his manservant. His duties would range from picking up Alex’s dry cleaning, washing his car or preparing his clothes for the upcoming day. No one could have envisioned that this man would become Alex’s drug mule. It is unclear how long and what periods of time that Alex took steroids, some have claimed that he took steroids from his junior year of high school to this past season with the New York Yankees. What is verified by, Alex Rodriguez and the MLB is that he took performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003, with open usage of “greenies”. Like a dish of hard candy, every locker room before 2006 had a dish of amphetamines open and for player use to aid in their rest and recovery between a 162 game seasons [1]. But with the help of steroids dealer Angel Presinal he became a subtle physical marvel that would be able to perform at a high level with out looking like an action hero. Alex worked tirelessly with one of Jose Canseco’s old trainers in the Dominican Republic, pushing himself to new limits with endless hills and sprints. His work ethic helped him stay out of the center of the steroid discussion along with his picture perfect swing, a technique that places Alex in favorable comparison with baseball’s contemporary stars, as his former GM in Seattle said, “ We envisioned him as a 25 home run player, but once we heard his swing, we could hear the sound of a special hitter like Manny Ramirez or Albert Pujols” [1]. In the summer of 1998 many of those stars were overshadowed especially Alex, where despite a season where he managed to steal for over forty bases and hit for over forty home runs at the age of 23 he was over shadowed by the home run race between St. Louis’ Mark McGwire and Chicago’s Sammy Sosa. The two were chasing a historic record of home runs in a single season and they took the country with them. Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs by getting 61 in the 1961 season for the New York Yankees. McGwire managed to get 62 home runs against Chicago in September of that season. They both finished the season with a higher total than Roger Maris with Sosa finishing with 66 home runs and McGwire hitting 70. Alex saw the apotheosis these two players were enjoying and wanted it for himself.[1] Alex wasn’t interested in simply getting a maximum contract like many great athletes; He and his agent Scott Boras wanted Alex to get a historic contract. They pitched Alex as the greatest shortstop to ever play the game already to every team with a booklet separated by chapters comparing him to the great players of the past and present. Alex’s dream destination was to be in New York but not for the storied Yankees, but rather the New York Metropolitans. He was interested in becoming Derek Jeter’s in city rival. Alex knew his numbers were better than Jeter’s across the board but failed to look at the exception, the four World Series Jeter had won while playing for a winning team. Jeter’s agent compared the two openly, “ Is the best player the most valuable player or the player with the best stats'” [1]“ Derek’s value increases because he makes 24 guys better. I think Alex in part does not know that. I know Derek does that. After a career is over what is remembered is whether a player won or lost. Jordan will be remembered for winning. At first it was “sure he can score but can he win'” Michael never really got credit until he won”. [1] The free agency period would begin on November 11th and the talks Scott Boras had with the New York Mets would end on November 13th after the GM of the Mets refused to deal with the ridiculous offers the two would demand, “ I have serious reservations about a structure with a 24 plus one roster. I don’t think it can work, and those reservations are enough for me to back off…I do buy Scott’s argument that we have not seen the best of [Rodriguez] yet. Its not about an individual its about 25 players that join together as a team and that is something that when compromised it becomes difficult to win, that’s even before considering the 12 year deal and the escalators and outs every three or four years.” [1]The two were demanding such luxuries as private jet use, personal marketing staff with an on site office, unlimited use of the Metropolitans logo, and a guarantee that he would be on more bill boards in New York City than the Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.[1] In Jackson’s first year with the Lakers they were able to make it out of the western conference for the first time since 1991. The 2000 finals was where the Lakers would not be denied, they had posted the best record the entire season and O’Neal won the MVP, but Kobe still continued to improve his play. In the finals they faced the Indiana Pacers led by the clutch shooting of Reggie Miller and the most improved player that year Jalen Rose. Kobe sprained his ankle in game two and was unable to play in game three [3]. He came back for game four and struggled in the first half to get his rhythm. He would have his time though. O’Neal fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter and Kobe took over the game scoring ten points in the final minutes of the game to give the Team a 3-1 lead in the series on route to their first championship. They defended their title next year in the playoffs by going undefeated during their opening rounds until they lost game one of the finals to the Philadelphia 76ers. Kobe didn’t care that he was facing his father’s former team and would have to beat his hometown team. The Lakers won every game in the series after dropping the first. This would have a consequence though as Philadelphia fans are notoriously rude to opponents. In 2002 the all-star game was in the city of brotherly love and Kobe was the star of stars, winning the game MVP trophy after scoring 31 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The fans booed him relentlessly and Kobe was moved to tears in private. The hometown that he once knew was a city that booed him for years to come. He moved on that season as the Lakers defended their title for a third time in a four game thrashing of the New Jersey Nets. [3] The Rangers were a team that saw that Alex was high maintenance and they stormed on the opportunity of a lifetime. Tom Hicks, the owner of the Texas Rangers, had bought the team for 250 million dollars in 1998 from a group that included George W. Bush. Hicks, was more luminary than the former president in certain reaches of Dallas. They greeted Alex with a Mercedes and a tour of the more affluent parts of Dallas. Hicks introduced Alex to the best natives of the city, like Jack Welsh the CEO of General Electric [1]. This was important to Alex because he would be getting record setting money and he was interested in getting himself some investments to continue making money. The Rangers broke the bank, giving Alex the greatest contract in sports history, a ten year 250 million dollar contract. Alex felt a tremendous amount of pressure to live up to his amazing contract and would add to his tireless work ethic. Alex would eat up scouting reports with a voracious appetite; he stole signs at shortstop to detect when a hit and run was on, he would practice ridiculous game situations, “… a barehanded dive for a ball where he would twist and throw from his knees”.[1] While he was having a remarkable season in year one of the Dallas contract the team was 27 games from first place in the division. His numbers were good enough to get him an all-star game appearance in 2001. This game was notable because it was the last all-star game of Cal Ripken Jr's career. Ripken was slated to start at the third base that night, but because he was a short stop for every year of his career before the 2001 season Alex requested that Ripken take his place. Cal wasn’t too pleased at first, he really wanted him to get out of his face but upon realizing that the two were both equipped with microphones at the moment he begrudgingly accepted the gesture later realizing that it was a nice acknowledgment [1]. That season was one of Alex’s finest in a game against Toronto; he took the first pitch from Steve Parris and got his 40th home run of the season. Then he proceeds to get another hit to make the count 2-2 and then getting his 41st home run. In the seventh inning he brought the house down with his 42 home run of the season. He couldn’t miss, as, “ I was possessed by the moment”. One of his teammates was quoted with a more realistic account of what had just transpired, “ It’s the stuff that makes you say no fuckin way”[1]. His overall numbers included 57 home runs and 142 RBI. This was a season where many wondered if the MVP award would go to man on such an ambiguously bad team like Alex Rodriguez was at that point with the Rangers. At the end of the season the answers were expected the MVP went to Miguel Tejada, another client of Angel Presinal [1]. Angel Presinal was supplying many players with steroids at the time, he is most known for his connection to many of baseballs contemporary stars of Dominican heritage like David Ortiz and Juan Gonzalez. Steroid use wasn’t only limited to Dominicans at the time though but the league wasn’t looking to impede on the steroid use of players. As pitcher John Rocker quoted a union doctor after an appointment with him, Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro, “ If you do it responsibly its not going to hurt you”. Alex took what he gained out of the meeting and started to take the drug primobolan, a drug that produces maximum strength with minimum bulk. What is a huge draw is that there is a long retention of power and is detectable for a far shorter period of time then other popular drugs like Deca-Durabolin and Winstol. His cheating wasn’t noticeable because he managed to not look like Jose Canseco. It was visible in the eyes of some like Rangers trainer Fernando Montes. He could tell from decades of experience that Alex was on an illegal substance [1]. Montes said that he noticed Alex showered separately from the team, like many steroids users do, to hide the effects of steroids, notably the strange acne a man can receive on his thighs, shrunken testicles and Gynecomastia, a condition that causes a mans nipples to puff out to above average levels. The 2003 Lakers were tired though, old and lacked enough skill to hold it together while O’Neal was recovering from toe surgery in the off-season. Kobe was a stark contrast, he was 24 and was eager to carry the team early in the season through O’Neal’s extended absence. Kobe scored exceptionally well with nine straight 40-point games in the month of February [3]. That All-Star game in Atlanta was special to Kobe and the NBA. It was Michael Jordan’s final all-star game and Kobe, wearing a pair of the famed “Air Jordan’s” wanted to give him a night to remember. He was respected by his peers as a superior defensive player and needed no help in keeping Michael from having a good shooting night. Kobe was individually spectacular sending the game into a second over time with a pair of free throws and finishing off the east team and Michael Jordan’s all-star game career. As great as Kobe Bryant had been that season the team failed to gain home court advantage in the playoffs and was knocked out of the second round by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers went shopping that off-season after what was a substandard season in their eyes. The team signed two hall of fame level players in Gary Payton and Karl Malone to fill their biggest needs at point guard and power forward. Kobe had played for much of the season with lingering knee pain. After the 2003 season came to an end Kobe needed knee surgery. He went to Colorado on June 30th to get the surgery on July 2nd from a doctor he had concluded was the best for his surgery [3]. Kobe stayed at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera [3] near the city he would be having his surgery. On the night of June 30th when he arrived an employee of the hotel, Katelyn Faber, gave him a tour. After the tour Kobe invited her into his room where she accused Kobe of raping her that night, Kobe swore that it was consensual. Kobe lost copious amounts of money at that point from the endorsers who concluded that his clean image was gone and he couldn’t recover. Nike was an exception to the group, they had signed him just prior to the incident. They played it safe and decided to not present advertisements with him for some time after the court case realizing that Bryant had a one of kind talent and that this would eventually blow over. In August 2003 steroids were the last things on Alex Rodriguez’s mind. His father was supposed to come to game in Dallas against the White Sox [1]. He was more nervous than he had been his entire career with the Rangers. Alex regularly caught eyes with his father in the stands along with his half brother Victor Jr. whom he hadn’t seen in 23 years. The reunion brought out a lot of emotion in the two as they embraced after the game with tears and smiles coming from both parties. Many of his teammates noted the eerie similarity between the two despite the separation. They walked in harmony, they shared the same cadence when they spoke, Alex shared his wide, easy smile with his father. It was a special day for Victor; “I will always have that day in my heart.” [1] The team was spiraling downwards and the Rangers believed they had made a mistake investing the amount of money to Alex considering the amount of success he had brought the team. After his MVP season of 2003 when Alex’s value was at his highest the Rangers started listening to offers made to them by other teams. The Red sox proposed a deal that would have made Alex a member of their team but the league vetoed the deal because of the voluntary reduction of salary by Alex. He was afraid that he would be stuck in Dallas until fate arrived. Baseball players have contracts that disallow them from competing in sports outside of baseball as long that are as safe as golf. Yankee third basemen Aaron Boone had been playing a random game of basketball and tore his ACL when another player collided with him [1]. Because he had violated his contract the Yankee’s were allowed to void his contract. This was the perfect situation for them to go after Alex Rodriguez, they were hopeful that he would be able to make the switch from shortstop to third base. This was George Steinbrenner’s biggest move since the 1977 signing of Reggie Jackson. The Boss, George Steinbrenner, is cut from a different cloth. He keeps his office cold and dark to create a imposing atmosphere, where he could intimidate and wear his trademark turtlenecks in June [1]. Getting the best player in the game brought back a charge into his old bones. The Yankee’s weren’t making the big moves like he liked and making the Yankee’s a perennial world series contender was important to him in his waning years. The Lakers 2004 season that was supposed to be a cakewalk for the Lakers due to the additions of two Hall of Fame players to add to the incumbent hall of fame players. Unfortunately it was anything but that for Kobe. He would routinely go from court hearings in Colorado to his games on the same days. The team was inconsistent with their performances ranging from dominant to pathetic [2]. The Lakers new additions struggled to find a place in the Lakers triangle offense. The point guard has to be able to get the ball and shoot it with consistency and let the other players do a lot of the work [2]. Gary Payton had a lot of trouble with this concept but to his credit maintained a professional attitude throughout his struggles [2]. Karl Malone who had long been a model of strength and was one of the sports ageless wonders, suffered a knee injury that kept him out of a large stretch of the season [2]. Kobe was plagued to travel induced fatigue, after a game in San Antonio he collapsed and needed two IVs in his arms [2]. The team did advance to the Finals that season, but could not get past the Pistons due to Karl Malone injuring his knee again. The Lakers did not have a suitable backup for him and they lost the 41 year old to retirement that summer. That summer he was acquitted of the charges and was a free man. The team decided it would hand the team over to Kobe Bryant after he let the team know he would not return to the team (he was a free agent that summer) if Shaq were still on the team, “…I’m tired of being a sidekick” [2]. Jackson would have considered signing another contract if Kobe would have asked but he let Jackson know that he should make up his mind independent of his (Kobe’s) decision [2]. Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and two draft picks. The next season Kobe would face the NBA season without his best teammate for his entire career at that point and the coach that brought the best out of him The Lakers struggled so mightily in 2005 that Kobe missed the playoffs for the only time in his career. The next season the Lakers brought back Phil Jackson and maybe this helped Kobe Bryant that season or maybe it was something else, but he exploded that year. He averaged 35 points a game, the most since Michael Jordan averaged 37 in 1987. In December of the season he scored 62 points in only three quarters of play against the Dallas Mavericks, impressively managing to outscore the entire Dallas team 62-61 heading into the final quarter, which he sat out [3]. Many wondered openly how many he could have scored if he stayed in the game, but due to the insurmountable lead the team had, their was no point other than number chasing to get back into the game. In January [3] he let the world know how far he can go when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the most points in game since Wilt Chamberlain’s record 100 points set in Hershey Pennsylvania in 1962. Many wondered if the MVP award should go to Kobe because of his efforts of keeping a poor team afloat. Steve Nash was the reigning MVP at the time and the voters wanted to give the award a player who got the most out of his teammates. The Phoenix Suns eliminated them that season due to the Lakers squandering a 3-1 series lead over the team. The 2007 season would be very much of the same Kobe Bryant scored 50 or more points in four straight games the most since Wilt Chamberlain [3]. The Lakers did not improve, as many of his teammates would watch him go against the other team by himself. The Phoenix Suns eliminated the Lakers again from the playoffs in the first round. In late 2007 before the 2008 season began there were rumors that Kobe was unhappy with the talent of the Lakers team. He was frustrated that he hadn’t even been out of the first round since 2004 that he wanted to be traded from Los Angeles. Kobe believed that the general manager Mitch Kupchak would make the team competitive shortly after he resigned with the team in 2004 but that clearly was not the case. His public tirades against the team were unprecedented for him but not for Lakers fans with a good memory. In the 1982 season Magic Johnson was unhappy with the Lakers offense because it “wasn’t any fun” [7]. He didn’t like that coach Paul Westhead had slowed the offense down for the teams center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In a post game interview Magic stated that he couldn’t play for him anymore and he wanted a trade [7]. The next morning the coach was fired by the owner Jerry Buss and replaced with Pat Riley [7]. Jerry Buss now faced the same problem with a new twist. The team tried to trade Kobe but he insisted on being traded to a contender. The Lakers were forced to comply because of Kobe’s no trade clause, allowing him to deny a trade to a team if he doesn’t feel fit to go there. The team got of to a good start that season and the team and Kobe decided it would be best not to go through with the trade. This was a blessing because the Memphis Grizzlies decided to make a trade to clear cap space. The Grizzlies are a team that has been in the cellar of teams for most of its existence as an NBA franchise. They regularly lose 50 games a season or more. They needed a way to cut costs and they decided to sacrifice their best player to due so. Pau Gasol the Spanish all-star and former rookie of the year was traded to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, the draft rights to his brother Marc Gasol and Javaris Crittendon. The two clicked on the basketball court right away. Kobe Bryant learned Spanish as a third language while living in Italy the way many of the countries natives learned it as a second language [5]. It was the communication and Pau’s multiple skills that allowed for a seamless transition into the Lakers triangle offense. The Lakers went on a run to win a western conference where the top eight teams were separated by a measly ten games. Kobe was rewarded with his first MVP trophy and the Lakers made it all the way to the NBA finals only to lose to the Boston Celtics. That off-season Kobe Bryant wouldn’t be able to take a break after the long season. He competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with the best players in the world on the USA national team. The team was successful in winning the gold medal ironically against his teammate Pau Gasol and the Spanish national team. The 2008 US Olympic Basketball team was successful in asserting the US dominance in the game of basketball but wasn’t exactly the greatest advantage for Kobe Bryant. He woke up every morning at 6 to work out and study film. Why this was a bad thing was because Kobe gave the best players in the league an exclusive look in how he prepares himself and what makes him so great. This hurt him because players on the team like LeBron James realized what they have to do in order to be a superstar and in the end their can be only one champion every year. The 2009 season featured all the players on the Olympic team maximizing their abilities on the teams they played for. LeBron James finally took to playing defense. Carmelo Anthony started to focus on his rebounding duties. Dwight Howard took on more of vocal lead that season and it could potentially hurt Kobe for the rest of his career. With the best young players learning from the veteran Kobe Bryant, they could surpass him in a shorter period of time. This had no effect on his season 2009 because the Lakers won the Championship, Bryant’s fourth championship and first finals MVP award. Alex put out the image of his friendship with Derek Jeter as being especially close during the beginning of his tenure with the Yankees but the two are truly cut from a different cloth that being together didn’t bring them closer. Derek was raised in a two-parent home that treated structure as a virtue. A single mother and a bevy of substitute fathers raised Alex. Derek had grown up seeing his parents at his games, while Alex’s mother normally worked through Alex’s games. Derek Jeter is grounded, “The biggest thing is that Jeet knows who he is” [1], said former Yankee Jason Giambi. He was self-motivated while Alex was more concerned with who saw him do something great, “He doesn’t blow his own horn. He sets examples behind the scenes. He doesn’t do something and then tell the media, ‘Hey look at me lead’, to be validated.” Alex was enveloped by Derek Jeter, while at clubs in New York he would often ask girls who knew nothing about baseball: “Who’s hotter me or Derek Jeter'” [1] The Yankees have failed to win a world series since Alex’s arrival in New York. His Yankee career is littered with post-season collapses of monumental proportions. The Yankees in 2004 blew a 3-0 lead against the Boston Red Sox. In 2007 against the Cleveland Indians, Alex played so poorly in the playoff series that Yankee manager Joe Torre had Alex batting 7th in the rotation. The Yankees manager had a chance to resign after his contract ended but he had enough of being in New York. The trials and tribulations had been too much to endure for Torre. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez have shared a similar career path. They both came into their leagues with immense popularity right out of high school. Their older more established teammates were not able to get along with them and have had fantastic statistics in meaningless games. The two of them have garnered a lot of their media attention because of their abilities which is saying a lot in the days of a twenty four hour sports news channels. Kobe Bryant has earned the unquestioned respect of his peers on the basketball court with his superior play and ruthless determination. Against his idol he was eager to prove his sheer dominance. Alex Rodriguez has the focus and swing to make him a formidable player on both sides of the ball but ultimately his performances have been hollow because of his inability to perform in the post season. Baseball analyst will look at Alex Rodriguez in sixty years and look at him the same way fans look at Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Ernie was famous for being an all-star but never had a world series to his career. Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the great players of Basketball history with accolades and championships. Ultimately history will forget his feuds and remember his zeal. That’s all it comes down to winning or losing. So while the whole media world will analyze every detail of an athlete’s life off the field claiming that it has everything to do with their performance on the field they forget how trivial the details of their lives become, and how winning is all players are judged by. [1]Roberts, Selena. A-Rod The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez. Harper, 2009. [2] Jackson, Phil. The Last Season a team in search of its soul. New york city: The penguin press, 2005. [3] kobe page [4]http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story'id=2763252 [5] http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/06/kobe-to-pau-pass-the-ball-por-favor/13129/ kobe and pau [6] http://espn.go.com/page2/s/questions/dawkins.html dawkins [7]http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125021/1/index.htm magic