Kobe Drives Points Home

Supposedly all grown up, Kobe Bryant returned to his hometown seeking approval, perhaps even a measure of forgiveness. But there were no open arms in the City of Brotherly Love, and he left with only hardware and heartache.

The Laker guard dominated the NBA All-Star game, leading the winning West team with 31 points, outplaying every nemesis from Michael Jordan to Allen Iverson to Tracy McGrady, and winning the most valuable player award.

But he didn’t get the last word. The populace that lost Bryant out of high school and whose 76ers lost the NBA championship to the Lakers last year enjoyed that honor.

And the word was “Boo.”

Catcalls started slowly, unlike Bryant, who scored 12 points in the first quarter of the West’s 135-120 victory Sunday night at First Union Center.

Somebody yelled, “Pass the ball, Kobe,” from the rafters and boos increased with every shot, which were many. Bryant took 16 in the first half, nine more than anyone else on either team, but nine went in and he had 23 points as the West lead grew to 72-55.

Which also contributed to the foul mood of the sellout crowd of 19,581. The East played poorly and so did the players these fans came to cheer.

Iverson, Philly’s adopted son, had no impact, scoring five points in 25 minutes. Jordan, back after a self-imposed three-year hiatus, missed nine of 13 shots, including a wide-open dunk that left him with the sheepish grin of someone whose age is showing.

And Bryant played brilliantly, adding eight points and three assists in the third quarter as the West lead grew to 100-77.

The boos grew louder every time he touched the leather.

He had ambushed the All-Star game just the way he planned, but Philly fans ambushed his emotions. He hadn’t planned on that.

“I was pretty upset, pretty hurt,” he said. “My first game here in the NBA, my rookie year, they booed me too. And that really hurt, because it was like my homecoming. That was very, very hurtful.”

So he helps the Lakers to an NBA title on this court, and eight months later believes everyone will turn the page and welcome him as the prodigal son returning?

Apparently his maturation is not far enough along for him to realize homecoming doesn’t happen on his terms.

Too bad, because he was having such a great time.

“I had like five cheesesteaks,” he said. “I was sick the first night because I ate too many.”

He visited friends and swung by his old high school, Lower Merion, peeking in the locker room “just to see if it smells the same.” He wanted to feel at home, to open the refrigerator, guzzle milk from the carton and have everyone chuckle at that crazy Kobe.

It doesn’t work with these people. The unsuspecting, self-absorbed Bryant was a prime target.

“That reaction is something beyond my understanding,” West center Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs said. “He put on a show for the fans and that is what this game is all about.”

Even Iverson empathized.

“You’d think people would say, ‘What if that was their kid,’ but they didn’t,” he said. “I felt real bad. At a happy moment you just want to enjoy it. By booing, it took a lot from him.”

Bryant sat most of the fourth quarter, his teammates making sure the East would not repeat the stirring late comeback it made in last year’s game. Gary Payton of the Seattle SuperSonics scored all 18 of his points in the second half for the West, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

The East made only two brief surges, one keyed by McGrady in the second quarter, the other a 13-point run to begin the fourth quarter.

In only his second All-Star game, McGrady, the 22-year-old Orlando Magic forward, topped the highlight reel with a second-quarter dunk. He dribbled up in transition, threw the ball against the backboard, leaped, caught and dunked it in one ferocious motion.

“I did that numerous times in high school and wanted to try it at the NBA level,” he said. “Dirk [Nowitzki] bit on the lob and I threw it down.

“I definitely think the dunks in today’s game could have won the slam-dunk contest.”

Jordan’s failed effort notwithstanding. McGrady, who led the East with 24 points, did his best to cover for his 38-year-old East teammate.

“I don’t know why everybody is tripping because he missed a dunk, everybody misses dunks,” he said. “It’s just not the same MJ he was when he could put his hips up to the rim.”

Jordan played 22 minutes, scoring nine points. The single embarrassing moment overshadowed all.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in that circumstance, and the wheels start turning,” he said. “I start trying to figure out, well what will you do? And at the last minute, you think, well, just dunk it.

“As you get older, you just don’t have the same type of confidence. You’ve got to go through a checklist. And I went through the checklist and by the time I was ready to dunk the ball, I wasn’t there.”

Everyone, it seemed, had a good time except the player who put on the best show.

Bryant was the obvious MVP choice, and boos rained again after a public-address announcement that the ceremony would begin a few minutes after the game. Don Nelson, the West coach, had only a moment to speak to Bryant.

“I said, ‘Don’t take it personal, they wish they had you,’” Nelson said. “‘Forget about it. Who cares if they boo you?’ They were having some fun.”

Was Bryant, or was he just the target of fun? He’ll sort it out.

“I’ll use it as motivation,” he said. “I’m the type of person where if something occurs in my life that’s hurtful, I’m only going to let it hurt me for so long. I’m going to turn it around and use it.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Laker Gold

Laker All-Star game MVPs:

Kobe Bryant 2002

Shaquille O’Neal* 2000

Magic Johnson 1992

Magic Johnson 1990

Jerry West 1972

Elgin Baylor** 1959

George Mikan 1953

*-Co-MVP with Tim Duncan, San Antonio

**-Co-MVP with Bob Pettit, St. Louis.

*

Second to One

Kobe Bryant’s 31-point performance Sunday ranks second among Lakers who participated in the All-Star game:

32 POINTS

Elgin Baylor 1962

31 POINTS

Kobe Bryant 2002

25 POINTS

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1984

Magic Johnson 1992

22 POINTS

Elgin Baylor 1968

Jerry West 1970

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1976

James Worthy 1987

Shaquille O’Neal 2000

21 POINTS

Elgin Baylor 1969

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1986

*

All-Star Game

(text of infobox not included)