JT the Brick

I am writing about Kobe Bryant again and it makes me sick to my stomach. He is everything that is wrong about the modern athlete and it is sad to watch a Los Angeles icon throw away everything he has worked for.

Kobe has already crossed the line and disrespected his boss, Dr. Jerry Buss.  Now he has also alienated most of the remaining fans he has left in L.A. We are not talking about Memphis, Seattle, New Orleans or Milwaukee; he is turning his back on Hollywood.

In recent columns, I have compared him to Barry Bonds, but he could be worse. At least Bonds is smart enough to realize that the only fans that still cheer him are in San Francisco and he continues to thank them for their support as he attempts to break Hank Aaron's home run record.

Kobe is the best player in the NBA and one of the highest paid athletes in all sports. He has been successful mainly because he plays for the Lakers, one of the best franchises in history. I believe the Lakers want to win more championships considering that Dr. Buss has won eight since acquiring the franchise.

There are several reasons why this story continues to gain momentum and remain a hot topic as we begin the NBA off-season.

The changing of the uniform
Fans still can't move on from the fact that Kobe changed his uniform number to 24 from 8 before the 2006-2007 season. His No. 24 jersey was the top-selling uniform in the NBA last season because his fans had to spend another $50-$120 on his new jersey in order to look hip and stay up to date in the Lakers universe.

If Bryant gets traded, should his ex-fans get a refund at the Lakers team store? Will ticket prices be slashed at Staples Center for season ticket-holders who only renewed their high priced seats because of the star power of Kobe? I think you know the answers to both of those questions. He changed his uniform number to make more money and gain more attention for his bloated ego.

West Coast bias
The media is once again kneeling at the altar of Kobe. L.A. is full of Lakers fans that write newspaper columns or flip flop as talk radio hosts and sound more confused than the fans that have to put up with their mood swings. It is entertaining to listen to a so-called member of the media support Kobe after they blamed Shaquille O’Neal for the downfall of the franchise.

These same homers are not backtracking in their displeasure for Shaq in the hopes of saving any credibility that they have left. The L.A. media might like covering this story because it sells papers and potentially could raise ratings, but if Kobe leaves, every media outlet will have to scramble to find reasons to cover this squad.

Weigh in on hot sports topics Kobe Bryant will be a lifelong Laker Duncan will win more titles than Jordan Durant will be better pro than Oden

The image issue
Over the past few weeks, Bryant has made a fool of himself on sports talk radio and is now considered a flip flopper by his peers. He is an emotional wreck who continues to reach out to his fans in an irrational manner that makes him look immature and confused.

Now Kobe has turned his attention to his new web site KB24.com, a place where his propaganda machine can operate without the merits of a seven-second delay. If he states something stupid, his webmaster can pull it down from the site at the moment Kobe changes his mind and wants to rant in a different direction.

The Kobe Bryant saga Breaking down possible destinations Welcome to the never-ending saga Jackson questions Kobe's commitment Vote: Where will he go?  |    Discuss iPredict: Kobe will be a lifelong Laker Complete NBA coverage

At kb24.com, you are invited to go to his on-line store where you can purchase an autographed basketball ($699) with the words "carpe diem" which translates into "seize the day" or buy a pair of limited edition sneakers with his autograph for only $1,499.

My favorite part of his web site is the section that promotes his basketball camp and states that "Kobe will not sign any No. 8 jerseys." I want to recommend to every mom and dad that might be considering sending their child to the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy to hold off on buying another jersey because he could soon be modeling a new No. 24 Chicago Bulls uniform.

This spoiled elitist has a lot of nerve to keep asking for money from his shrinking fan base while forcing his owner to go out and improve the Lakers. Kevin Garnett wants to win in Minneapolis but would never sink this low when dealing with the Timberwolves or their loyal fan base. LeBron James cannot be happy with his surrounding cast in Cleveland, but he is not voicing his displeasure on sports radio or through his entourage. Ask Jason Kidd if he would like to win his first championship and I guarantee he would not speak poorly about his teammates or organization.