I am on the record as NOT being a fan of Kobe Bryant. Well, I'm going to back off that dislike A LOT after this interview, where he talks about his pride in playing this summer in the Olympics for the United States: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121901828943748251.html?mod=djemEditorialPage. The article makes a very good point. Neither Bryant nor any of the other players on the team HAD to do this, and yes, while they undoubtedly will cash in from a marketing standpoint if the team brings home the gold, they are still giving up their time for what amounts to a non-paid, extended competition. And, you can't say that Bryant is purely looking at the money aspect--he has been at numerous events to wave to the flag, including at least two of Michael Phelps' finals.
I take my hat off to him.
2 comments:
Good for him to express his pride in our country and he helped to win back the gold! Too bad he didn't play on the 2004 team.
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