Kobe & O.J.

I’ve just been reading some of the articles about Kobe Bryant being charged with sexual assault. I can’t help but be reminded of O.J. Simpson’s case. That’s partly because they both had squeaky clean images before their ‘incidents’. The racial components of the situations and the composition of their legal teams are other similarities.

Here are some quotes from an MSNBC article entitled ‘A Story About Innocence Lost‘, which deal with Kobe’s image (emphasis is mine):

Kobe Bryant appeared in an excruciatingly adorable McDonald’s commercial not long ago in which he was recruited by a bunch of little kids to join their team in a playground basketball game. At the end of it, one kid tells Kobe that if they win, they all get to go to McDonald’s. “So don’t blow it,” the kid warns Kobe.

Kobe didn’t heed the kid’s advice. He blew it.

Kobe has already ruined his image. He can say goodbye to McDonald’s, Sprite, Nike, the wave of good will surrounding the new Lakers and a fresh season, and the trust of millions.

…a married star athlete who heretofore had been above such boorish and inappropriate behavior as tomcatting around in some hotel room with a 19-year-old concierge is suddenly and shockingly the most prominent example of it.

Shawn Kemp can have children out of wedlock from different women and we don’t bat an eye. Ruben Patterson can get himself into a scandalous situation with a nanny and cause nary a ripple. It’s not that we’ve grown to expect that sort of thing from our athletes. It’s that we have had to deal with so much of it, and now we are wary of getting too close, lest we suffer grave disappointment.

Pundits are already pointing out that Bryant will have to register as a sex offender if convicted. He will face other restrictions as well. He may even go to prison. Can you imagine? I had no difficulty envisioning Tyson in prison. It felt like his natural habitat. But Kobe? It would mark the biggest pedestal fall in America since O.J. – and I feel nauseous just mentioning Kobe and O.J. in the same sentence.

I also think that the Sprite deal is over. Or at least they’ll have to change the slogan. Somehow I don’t think that a picture of Kobe with the words “Obey Your Thirst” will come across very well. 😮

Here’s where the racial component come into play (from the Kansas City Star article ‘Kobe case creating divisiveness along racial, gender lines in Colorado town‘(emphasis is mine):

Many men try to relate to Bryant, defending him. Many women sympathize with the former Eagle Valley High school cheerleader and aspiring singer who once tried out for “American Idol.

But most locals – men and women – have rallied around the hometown victim, showing an allegiance that some contend is a reflection the community’s racial makeup.

According to the U.S. Census 2000, 13 of Eagle’s 3,032 residents identify themselves as African American, while 2,437 as white. About 52 percent are male.

“Look around. All this is happening because they (the police) are just trying to keep another young brother down,” said Mike Bonner, 36, an Eagle resident who is black.

“This town isn’t easy on outsiders, especially the ones that stand out. I believe Kobe is getting set up because he’s so different and has got so much more than anybody in this town.”

While most townspeople quickly acknowledge that blacks are a minority, only a few are willing to say race had any factor in their judgment, however premature.

“He’s a black basketball player like all those others who thinks he can do anything because he’s got all this money,” said Mike Shiplet of Vail. “That’s what people are thinking even though a lot of people won’t admit it.”

So there’s another similarity to the O.J. situation — polarization. Except this time it not only along racial lines, but also along gender lines. And I don’t even have to mention the fact that non-Black females are involved. (I’m making an assumption here, but given the racial make-up of that town I think it’s a safe one.) As I heard some comic joke before: “See, messing around with those white girls… gets you in trouble every time.” 🙂

And the final similarity is the legal dream-teams (from the Kansas City Star article ‘Kobe Bryant’s new team star-laden too‘):

The merit of a sexual-assault accusation against Kobe Bryant might be a matter of fierce debate, but all sides agree the Lakers star couldn’t have picked a better legal team to represent him.

Pamela Mackey and Hal Haddon, whose list of high-profile clients includes John and Patricia Ramsey and author Hunter S. Thompson, are “sought after by lawyers, corporations and individuals,” said Jeralyn Merritt, secretary of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

“There’s not a better law firm in the country for defending citizens accused of crime,” said Gerry Goldstein, a San Antonio lawyer who teamed with Haddon to represent Thompson against drugs, explosives and sexual-assault charges.

Mackey, 46, represented Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy in a domestic-violence case involving his wife, Michele, in 2001. The case was dismissed after Michele Roy came forward with new information. Mackey also represented Jeane Newmaker, the mother charged in the “rebirthing” therapy death of her daughter.

In the 1990s, Mackey served as a public defender in Eagle County, which includes the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera. That is where the attack allegedly occurred and where Bryant stayed while in town for minor surgery July 1 on his right knee.

Haddon, 62, defended John and Patricia Ramsey in the highly publicized slaying of their 6-year-old daughter, JonBenet.

“The strategy here is the legal version of shock and awe,” said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School. “They’re coming in with big guns and hoping to intimidate the local law enforcement and DA.”

“I’m sure he (Hurlbert) wants to cover all his bases before his next decision, especially against that kind of defense team. Certainly, we don’t want to be portrayed as a hick town with an Andy-from-Mayberry police department who jumped the gun.”

So there you have it. Who would have ever imagined Kobe would have gotten himself into a mess like this? Or that he’d be mentioned in the same breath as O.J.? This is going to be a very interesting case. I wonder if Kobe will have a jury of his peers? 😉 Let’s hope we don’t see a repeat of April 29, 1992.