Who is Kobe Bryant?

On Sunday night, Kobe Bryant scored a phenomenal 81 points over the Raptors to bring the Lakers to a 122 -104 victory. It beat the franchise’s Elgin Baylor’s 71 points set in 1962 and is only second to the all-time Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points record also set in 1962. The crowd was electric with the MVP chants and I’m sure that Chick Hearn (legendary former Lakers’ game announcer who was fond of Bryant and really thought him to be special) would have love to have seen this game.

I’ve been at a lost for words when it comes to Kobe Bryant ever since his alleged rape accusation and trial. On one hand he is the hardest working player I’ve witnessed in the NBA. He would often be the first and the last to leave practices, going over and over again his shots, his free throws, his moves. His intense, determined focus to be the best basketball player is admirable, no, even awe-inspiring. I mean this guy works his butt off. In front of the media, he’s also eloquent, smart, thoughtful and gracious. You can almost see his maturity from year to year, from boyhood to manhood.

Then there’s this other side of him: the alleged, numerous, extra-marital affairs, the rumors about how difficult it is to work with him, and his aloofness around other players, being cold and distant. Is the Kobe Bryant we see just a façade? Is the public image just a product of great PR? Is there a dark side to Kobe that only the closest people know about?

He’s a mystery to me. Can’t really tell what kind of guy he is and that’s what makes it harder to like him. You can respect him as one of the greatest players in history, but you don’t know whether you can trust him or whether he’s just putting up a great front. And it bothers me that I can’t see who he really is. I want to like him but there’s always that slice of doubt that enters my mind and casts a dark shadow on the person of Kobe Bryant. This is when I know that one really bad mistake can forever alter your reputation.