Shame(s) on You: Kobe Bryant

Resist the temptation. Hold your tongue. No matter how much you want to please refrain from talking to your co-worker 'Fred' at the water cooler about how awesome Kobe Bryant's performance was last night.

I'm sick and tired of hearing about how great Kobe Bryant is. Even Yinka Dare could score 80 points if he took 46 shots a night. Scoring 81 points, while impressive in of itself, does not compare to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 which was done in an era without three pointers and new rules that make it impossible to guard perimeter players.

Jellybean's son is just taking advantage of new rules in a league desperate to establish players like LeBron James as huge superstars in the post Michael Jordan era. And he's doing it on a team devoit of a second scoring option that allows him to do it. A team that he put together himself when he ran Shaquielle O'Neal out of town.

Which is exactly why I can't stand Bryant. I'm not even going to touch the whole Colorado hotel rape scandal. My disdain isn't even about that. It's about his self promoting nature. The so called ball hog mentality that is ruining today's game. And Bryant is the biggest culprit of all.

Think about it. Bryant lost millions of dollars in sponsorships after the rape scandal. Just now are advertisers slowly starting to knock on his door again. So too is the U.S. Olympic Selection Committee. Could there be a better time to shatter scoring records? 62 points in three quarters. 81 in four. 4 straight games of 40 or more after returning from a 2 game suspension. You name it and Bryant has done it. Convenient timing you say. Me first mentatlity I say.

So Kobe if you're out there, I just want you to know that I see right through you. I know you're ball hogging more than ever right now just to remake your image, just to win back the sponsors, just to win a spot on the Olympic team so that you can be the one to return Team USA to the promised land after a disgraceful performance last time around.

All the posers out there might cheer you now and talk around the water cooler about how unbelievable you are. But I see right through you. You're no Michael Jordan. You're just another Matt Sheilds.