False Idol: The problem with Kobe Bryant.
Inspiration is one of the many fuels to society. Without the feeling of being motivated, where would any of us be? We draw motivation from almost anything. The past or the future, anger or excitement, people who represent where we want to be. Being an inspiration is a privilege that places a golden star upon someone’s legacy. Often these role models are people that show unequaled determination and success, and athletes fit that description commonly. There is a specific archetype of modern athlete that people look up to; these athletes work harder than the rest of their peers, dedicate everything to their sport, and provide help to those who need it away from sports. I believe that among the Mount Rushmore of athletic inspiration in America there is a glaring, false idol; there is a snake who misrepresented what it means to be an inspiration.
Millions of people look up to the late Kobe Bryant. Throughout his career, Kobe embodied hard work and persistence like nobody else in the NBA. At surface value, what was there to not love about Kobe. He was a 5 time NBA champion, he scored the 4th most points in league history, he stayed loyal to one team his entire career, he preached his “mamba mentality” that has inspired millions to give full dedication to their dreams, and with his wife, he had a charity foundation that supported underprivileged kids by giving them opportunities into sports. When he died in a tragic helicopter accident in 2020, it felt like the whole world stopped to mourn him. I was one of those people. In truth, he had inspired me too, and I revered the legacy he left behind. Kobe showed what I thought was greatness; at the time, I had never heard of what he did in June of 2003.
Kobe was in Eagle, Colorado for knee surgery that summer to treat recurring swelling and pain. He was staying at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, and upon entering the building the female desk clerk caught his eye. While away from his security detail, Kobe asked the 19 year old to give him a tour of the building and his room. She agreed. She alleges that Kobe flirted with her while giving this tour and asked her if she wanted to get in the jacuzzi with him. She stated that she declined his offer and said she needed to clock out and go home. She claimed, following her refusal, Bryant asked her for a hug and then blocked the exit and proceeded to have forced intercourse with her despite her repeated denial of consent. Days later, Police interviewed Kobe about the incident and started by denying ever having sex with her. He later shifted his story and admitted they had sex but claimed it was consensual. At one point within the interview, Kobe even offered “evidence” for the encounter being consensual by stating that there was another woman who he cheated on his wife with and their intercourse was similar, meaning the encounter at the hotel had to be consensual.
Police would take Kobe into custody and he would get released when his bail was posted. One charge of felony sexual assault was filed against Kobe; the sentence, if found guilty, could range from 4 years to life in prison. When the legal battle started, the evidence was not on his side at all. There was evidence of vaginal trauma, Kobe’s DNA matched the DNA found inside the plaintiff, there were blood stains from the plaintiff on Kobe’s shirt, and the plaintiff had bruising on her neck that was consistent with her story. Bryant’s attorneys centered their defense around an allegation that the victim had slept with many men and that is what caused the vaginal trauma; they argued this because she showed to the police examination with underwear that also contained another man's DNA. Another path they argued down was that the plaintiff was not credible because she had mental health troubles in the past and was medicated for schizophrenia. The criminal case would be dropped because the plaintiff did not want to testify due to fear of public harassment after her details had been leaked to the public. Following this, Kobe would release a public apology through his attorney where he would state that he thought the encounter was consensual, but he understands how she may have thought the encounter was not consensual. A civil case would be pursued after the statement was released and Bryant would settle out of court for an undisclosed amount that is estimated to be in the millions. While Kobe was never found guilty, it doesn’t make sense why he would settle out of court for millions of dollars, if he wasn’t trying to avoid what would happen to his brand with a guilty verdict. There is also a fair amount of evidence that aligns with him being guilty.
Despite the case and evidence going public, Kobe Bryant never faced significant repercussions for what he did. Most people only remember him for his status as a basketball great and his persistent mentality, completely ignoring that he did one of the worst crimes there is. There are arguments that he did more good than bad in his life and that he is no longer alive, so there is no point in bringing up this large slash on his legacy. Good acts do not buy leeway to do something egregious. If they did then people might as well forgive Jeffery Epstein because of all the money he committed to philanthropy. Because he is dead, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, and to ignore a crime as serious as what Kobe did is to say that in principle it is ok. There is not one inspiration who is or was completely perfect in this world, but Kobe Bryant is a perfect example of someone who nobody should aspire to be.
Works Cited: https://abcnews.com/images/pdf/Kobe_Bryant_Complaint_040810.pdf
https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=1872928
https://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/kobe-bryant-police-interview?page=56
https://web.archive.org/web/20040222040216/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3723073/
https://web.archive.org/web/20101003142345/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5861379
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jul-16-sp-kobe16-story.html
