Re: Bryant 'Terrified' Ahead of Assault Case

["Greg Odegaard" <grodeg@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, and if and when he gets "off" for this offense, can anyone guess how
long it will be before his "loving" wife leaves him and or he does something
like this again?

His terror is very disingenuous now that his entire golden life seems a tad
bit less so.

IF you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Take care all,
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "celtics list" <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 6:21 PM
Subject: Bryant 'Terrified' Ahead of Assault Case


>       Bryant 'Terrified' Ahead of Assault Case
>             Sun Oct 5,11:10 AM ET  Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!
>
>
>       By BERNIE WILSON, AP Sports Writer
>
>       HONOLULU - Kobe Bryant (news) returned to the basketball court
Saturday,
> admittedly out of shape and scared about what lies ahead for his family as
his
> rape case proceeds.
>
>
>                   AP Photo
>
>
>                         Reuters
>                        Slideshow: Kobe Bryant
>
>
>
>
>       After participating in a few drills with his Los Angeles Lakers
(news)
> teammates at training camp, the superstar guard said he considered not
playing
> until his case is settled.
>
>
>       "Basketball to me just took a back seat, man," Bryant said in his
first
> public comments since July 18, the day he was charged with sexually
assaulting
> a 19-year-old woman in Eagle, Colo.
>
>
>       Surrounded by a throng of media in a steamy gym at the University of
> Hawaii, Bryant decided about a month ago that he would play, a decision
> supported by his wife, Vanessa.
>
>
>       "You know, I have a job to do," Bryant said, dressed in a gold
practice
> jersey and purple shorts, with a towel around his neck.
>
>
>       "This is my job, coming back to work," he said. "My family and I,
we've
> been dealing with this for a while now and we're going to continue to deal
> with it. I'm coming back to work and do what I do."
>
>
>       Bryant is accused of raping a woman June 30 in his suite at a
mountain
> resort where she worked. He has said the two had consensual sex. Free on
> $25,000 bond, Bryant is scheduled to appear Thursday in Eagle for a
> preliminary hearing to determine whether he will stand trial.
>
>
>       Bryant smiled occasionally as he spoke Saturday, although he mostly
> appeared serious.
>
>
>       Asked if he was scared about the case, he replied: "Terrified."
>
>
>       "Not so much for myself, but just for what my family is going
through,"
> Bryant said. "They had nothing to do with this, but just because their
names
> have been dragged in the mud I'm scared for them."
>
>
>       Did Bryant feel more comfortable walking back into a gym?
>
>
>       "No," he replied. "You know what? You can't imagine what it's like
going
> through what I've gone through, still going through. I come out here to
play,
> and this is my job, and I'm going to come out here and do it well."
>
>
>       Bryant said his family was the main reason he considered sitting
out.
>
>
>       "I just wanted to spend as much time as I can with my family,"
Bryant
> said. "You go through something like this, you realize how important your
> family is, seeing my daughter grow up and being at home. Basketball to me
is
> just a distant second."
>
>
>       Bryant reported to training camp a day late, telling the team
through
> his agent that he was "under the weather." He refused to be more specific
> Saturday.
>
>
>       Bryant was asked if his experience with on-court pressure would help
him
> deal with his off-court problems.
>
>
>       "In this environment, this world, people think a seventh game is
> pressure," he said, laughing. "Are you kidding me?
>
>
>
>
>
>       "Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me. Going
through
> what we've been going through is difficult."
>
>       During the offseason, Bryant underwent surgery on his right shoulder
and
> had minor knee surgery the day after he is charged with committing the
sexual
> assault.
>
>       He said stress affected him to the point where he couldn't train.
>
>       "I've got work to do," said Bryant, who spent part of Saturday's
> practice riding a stationary bike.
>
>       Bryant doesn't plan to speak with his teammates about his case.
>
>       "Why?" he said. "I could put it into words a million times, they'll
> never understand, they'll never get it. It doesn't matter. We'll come
here,
> we'll work together as a team and we'll play the game.
>
>       "We're living through this," he said, referring to his family.
> "Everybody else is just watching."
>
>       What has his life been like?
>
>       "Like a roller coaster," he said. "You have your good days, you have
> your bad days. At home, you have your worst days, then other days are
great.
> Sometimes it doesn't seem like there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
You
> pray, you have faith. The next thing you know, the light is brighter than
> ever."
>
>       Bryant also said his life has "been pretty crazy. My wife and I go
out
> on a date and everybody overanalyzes it."
>
>       Bryant was asked about what happened in Colorado.
>
>       "Are you serious?" Bryant said, before walking away.
>
>       Bryant arrived in Honolulu late Friday night, and coach Phil Jackson
> hadn't had a chance to sit down with him for a one-on-one talk.
>
>       "This gym is not appropriate," Jackson said. "It's too noisy. We'll
wait
> until we have a space which is appropriate for it."
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
> sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
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