All that buzz over Kobe

Los Angeles — Sports, sex and scandal: they never mix well. Such is the rude awakening for Laker superstar Kobe Bryant who was charged with felony sexual assault after a 19-year old woman accused him of raping her at a mountain resort where she worked in and he was a guest.

All of a sudden, his bright future turned bleak. "Innocent until proven guilty," the saying goes. But the controversy has already cost Bryant millions in lost endorsements. Some fans have already turned their back, expressing disappointment, if not disgust.

"I was surprised how much the news of Bryant’s adultery affected me. I was extremely disappointed in him," a resident of Long Beach and a Laker fan, Rose Hamilton stated in a letter to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Here in California, reports on the developments of this case are presented in the news programs of most big networks next to the merits of the Scott Peterson case, the man accused of murdering his 27-year old wife and unborn child in Modesto, California on Christmas Eve of 2002 or shortly after that.

Most graphics (pictures that come out over the left shoulder of news anchors when reading the news) show faces of both men side by side. Bryant’s picture is slightly bigger, of course. But that says a lot. Is the former sports hero now in the same league with suspected criminals?

"He is not a criminal. I know that he did not commit a crime, he did not assault anyone. He is a loving and kind husband and father. I believe in his innocence," stated Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Laine in a statement that her camp released in response to the sexual assault charge.

She is standing by her husband despite the admittance of infidelity on his part. And shortly after admitting to being unfaithful, husband bought wife a $4 million eight-carat, purple diamond ring.

On Oct. 6, 2003, Bryant showed up at the Lakers practice in Honolulu, Hawaii with a tattoo of his wife’s name and Psalm 27 on his right arm. He said it was a tribute to Vanessa.

Are these gifts intended for damage control or good PR? People are wondering.

But that’s not the only question. More important than that is: Was it foul or fair play?

On the afternoon of June 30, 2003, Bryant took a private flight to Eagle, Colorado to undergo an arthroscopic surgical procedure on his right knee at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail.

That night, Bryant, under the alias "Javier Rodriguez," and three companions checked in at the 56-room Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, a small town in between Eagle and Vail.

On July 1, the woman who worked at the front desk of the resort told Eagle County authorities that she was sexually assaulted by Bryant the previous night.

And so began Bryant’s love affair with the courts: trial court during the day, basketball court at night.

At first Bryant denied that anything happened. But on July 18, he appeared at a news conference, wife by his side, and said, "Nothing that happened on June 30th was against the will of the woman who now falsely accuses me."

Did it happen or not? It’s Bryant’s words against his accuser’s. Unfortunately, we may have to wait until this NBA season is over, for the answer.

Last Nov. 13, 2003, Bryant’s lawyers decided against entering a formal plea at a hearing in Eagle, Colorado. If he had entered one, the clock would have started ticking toward his trial. State law requires the trial to be scheduled within six months after the plea of the accused, unless he waives that right.

One legal expert noted that this is one tactic of the defense to delay trial until after the basketball season.

The Laker organization has done everything possible to support Bryant during this time. Everyone stood behind him. Management altered practice schedules, allowed Bryant to determine when he could play, permitted his security in the locker room, exempted him from some functions and taken whatever minutes and points he could provide on the floor.

But despite the overwhelming support, Bryant has told ESPN magazine that, "There is a possibility" he will leave his team and without elaborating, added: "There are a lot of reasons why."