Kobe Bryant Statement

CNN ^ | July 18, 2003 | CNN

[Pubbie]

"I am innocent of the charges filed today. I did not assault the woman who is accusing me.

"I made the mistake of adultery. I have to answer to my wife and my God for my actions that night and I pray that both will forgive me.

[Howlin]

Here is a partial timeline ... from today's LA Times but severely edited:

• 10 p.m. — Bryant and three male associates check in at the 56-room Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, a small town about halfway between Eagle and Vail. Bryant uses the alias, "Javier Rodriguez" and is assigned a first-floor room at the end of a long hall. The room next door is vacant. The room for his associates, at least two of whom are bodyguards, is registered to Michael Ortiz and it is located on the third floor.

• 10:15 p.m. — Bryant mills around the lobby, largely ignored by hotel employees who have been trained to respect the privacy of celebrity guests.

• 11 p.m. — A 19-year-old woman who works for the hotel as a concierge and receptionist goes off duty.

• 11:13 p.m. — A phone call lasting a few minutes is placed from Bryant's room to what is believed to be his Newport Beach home, where his wife, Vanessa, and young daughter are staying.

• Before midnight: Bryant's accuser goes to his room and stays for an undetermined length of time, according to several hotel employees. Sources differ on the precise time she went to the room.

July 1

• 12:36 a.m. — A pay-per-view movie is ordered in Bryant's room.

• Morning — Bryant undergoes arthroscopy at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic, which will not divulge the time of the procedure.

• Noon — Accompanied by her parents, Bryant's accuser reports the alleged sexual assault to the Eagle County Sheriff's Department and is taken to Vail Valley Medical Center to undergo tests.

[Owen]

Why did she go to his room at night? Maybe because she worked at the hotel and he asked her to? Dunno, but her going to the room at night is not necessarily damning.

[Mr. Mojo]

but her going to the room at night is not necessarily damning.

Of course it isn't. I think it was most likely a setup -- she went up to his room, they had consensual sex (as Kobe admitted), and now she's going to take him to the cleaners.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Hmmm. Perhaps because it was her job? No, no, that couldn't be it. No one would ever consider (nor be told by a boss to consider) going up a little after the room-service closing time for a celebrity. Nope. Not plausible...

</sarcasm>

[Owen]

Hmmm. Just saw the timeline saying she was off duty. Of course, that is from the LA Times which can't be presumed to be impartial. Also, the DA in Colorado isn't stupid. They know all the possibilities. They still felt they had enough to convict.

Consider for a moment how much this is going to cost that office -- in a relatively small district. They looked at the budget too, before filing. Kobe admitted sex because he knows they have the DNA. Now it will be about the bruises, and perhaps what was heard outside the room. Perhaps how many NO!'s were screamed and heard. We'll see.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Kobe could get cheerleaders, playmates, pornstars, dancers, showgirls, why the hell would he RAPE some girl who works in a hotel for crying out loud?

Obviously you've never been around professional athletes, have you? I have for the last ten years (from football and basketball players in a Div IA school to minor league hockey players). Many of them think that they are OWED the attentions of females. They'll walk by ten willing women to hit on one uninterested girl, just to prove their "manhood." I've seen a player turn down two really hot chicks just so he can go over and try to take another girl away from her date. Just like on the field, the court, or the ice, it's about the competition to them. The fact that this girl might have said no would probably make it more important to screw her, just because she didn't want it.

The mentality of many pro athletes is very warped. I can easily see how Kobe could have be determined to screw her, just because she wasn't interested. It's all about the challenge to them (because other women are so easy for them to get).

[666beast]

Thing is, normally, I would agree with your post completely.

I think Kobe is an exception. The athlete you profile has a thug mentality and a chip on their shoulder. It's a pattern of behavior.

Kobe simply hasn't exhibited that pattern in his image, in his interviews nor in his brief life history.

With that exception, I agree with you! Since most athletes are criminal a-holes.

[nyconse]

I agree with you. There is no reason to believe Kobe was set up. He may have done it-he may not have done it. Why automatically assume the girl is lying? He is a sports star -so what? Some of the jocks at my college came darn close to rape; they thought it was their God given right to have any woman they wanted. Also, read the article-Kobe says the girls accusatations have hurt his family-no Kobe you hurt your family.

[A CA Guy]

At least he'll lose a billion in contracts over his lifetime over his weenie!

That is going to be hard for him to live with over some quick adulterous sex.

[Pahuanui]

Besides, he's probably just one more criminal that happens to be able to play a sport at a professional level. 70% of people that play in the NFL and NBA would probably be in jail if they couldn't play a professional sport.

Man, that statement is just infused with the love of Christ and sheer pig-ignorance of statistics.

Congratulations.

[MattAMiller]

At the risk of sounding like some jock-worshiping jerk my gut feeling is that Kobe is innocent. This guy orders some room service and then just decides to rape the woman who comes to his door? That's one weird story.

[MattAMiller]

70% of people that play in the NFL and NBA would probably be in jail if they couldn't play a professional sport.

I don't know about the NBA but players in the NFL are arrested less often than their counterparts in the general public. Remember that these are young guys, and lots of young guys have trouble with the law.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Kobe simply hasn't exhibited that pattern in his image, in his interviews nor in his brief life history.

Neither had any of the people I'm talking about, either. How can you know that Kobe didn't have that attitude? From a handful of staged media interviews and puff-pieces? Everyone in the sports world has remarked on how "private" Kobe is, how little contact with the media and even his own teammates he has. So exactly what makes you sure you know enough about him to make that determination?

Frankly, I've got no clue whether he did it or not. But I can understand how an athlete would be motivated to do it. And it's got nothing to do with a "thug" mentality (some of the worst of them that I came in contact with were rednecky whites...).

[af_vet_rr]

I still have to wonder just why this 19 year old woman went up to Kobe's room by herself at 10PM. No woman with an ounce of brains would put herself in that kind of a situation. You just don't do it.

I believe her manager sent her up (she worked room service at the hotel).

However, why shouldn't she be able to go up there without the fear of being assaulted? The blame squarely rests with Kobe.

I'm tired of people blaming the victim, that's part of what is wrong with this country, nobody wants to place blame where it should be placed. Saying she shouldn't have been there is close to saying it's her fault. We have this "victim culture" these days, erg.

[Pharmboy]

He should have paid attention to Tyson rather than Clinton.

[TheOtherOne]

Man, that statement is just infused with the love of Christ and sheer pig-ignorance of statistics.

I couldn't think of a good reply for that post, but you nailed it! Nice.

[TheOtherOne]

But I can understand how an athlete would be motivated to do it.

Psst. your problems are showing.

[gaspar]

Of course the woman will be crucified. That is why Bryant is using the adultry defense -- it was consensual doncha know.

[07055]

How can you know that Kobe didn't have that attitude? From a handful of staged media interviews and puff-pieces? Everyone in the sports world has remarked on how "private" Kobe is, how little contact with the media and even his own teammates he has. So exactly what makes you sure you know enough about him to make that determination?

Very well put. People seem to think they "know" someone they see on TV. Most of the time, they only "know" what the celebrity wants them to see.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Psst. your problems are showing.

And what, pray tell, are those "problems" you refer to?