One of the most shocking and saddest days of my life: Kobe asks for a trade
Wednesday, May 30

I was stunned today by one of the most shocking news events in my life:

Kobe asked to be traded today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2886927

I still remember that summer of '96, coming back from visiting relatives in S. Korea and hearing that news that we would start that year with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

We won championships, and had thrilling moments. Oh so many thrilling, exciting, breath-holding moments. The impossible come-back-from-behind game against Portland (the one where Pippen got upset and pushed over the towels) The Kobe to Shaq alley-oop. The Shaw-Shaq redemption. The Big Shot by Horry. The 0.4 by Fisher. Last season's near upset of the Suns with one of the most improbable 4th quarter runs in history. The endless array of breathtaking, impossible shots from the most skilled player the game has ever seen.

Then came a shocker: Kobe accused of rape. Laker fans were polarized by this, and instead of Lakers fans and enemies, new terms were coined: Kobe-fans and Kobe-haters, categories entirely different from the team. What other player has inspired such deep emotional polarity?

Then another shocker: Shaq traded, and blame thrown all around. Despite my optimism, the last 3-4 comes down to is this: futility, futility, futility. Where ARE we going with this team?

Finally, this. Kobe and the Lakers will split. Now all the dirt comes out into the open. Kobe seems ridiculous for airing all this into the media, and Buss and the Lakers organization seem like back-stabbers with the lies they told Kobe and how they allowed Kobe to be blamed for the Shaq mess.

I'm not siding with Kobe, nor am I siding with the Lakers. Everyone has their own side and version of the story, of course. They feel like they HAVE to do what they have to do. In the process, we Lakers fans have our heart ripped out, and the entire basketball world looks on at the spectacle in part shock, part fascination with the uncovered dirt, part smugness with their conviction that the Lakers were doomed and deserved this, and part hope that their team would be able to trade for Kobe.

In life, there are events that shake you to your core. I try to remind myself that this is a team, a player, JUST A GAME.

Except that my heart feels sunken like a rock, and I want to shed tears, but I can't.

yakob at 3:09 PM

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