|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant stood at the center of a rugby scrum at lunchtime Saturday, surrounded by cameras and tape recorders and a melting pack of at least 75 journalists. ...
Kobe Bryant.
Kobe was cool. ... He was strong and open, answering every question without a flinch and admitting that he came back to work only after strongly considering not playing this season. ... The only explanation given -- to the Lakers and the public -- had Bryant feeling "under the weather," but even Gary Payton, possibly Bryants staunchest supporter at Lakers camp, called it "a mind thing."
Suddenly back in a basketball environment, Bryants mind seemed rather sharp. ... " He said he "wavered back and forth" about whether to play in the face of the assault charge and the resulting unprecedented scrutiny, ultimately deciding to try when "my wife kind of encouraged me to go back and play. ... "Im coming back to work. ... Were going to continue to deal with it, were going to continue to fight through it, and Im just going to come back to work and do what I do. ... He got welcome-back hugs from each player and spent most of the session trading gibes with newcomers Payton and Bryon Russell and new assistant coach and former teammate Brian Shaw. ...
Lakers forward Devean George, the teammate who stayed in contact with Bryant the most during his tumultuous summer, sensed right away that Bryant seemed at ease to be back in a hoops environment.
Approximate Word count = 1108
Approximate Pages = 4.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|