Cedar
03-03-2009, 11:02 PM
PRO BASKETBALL; As Fans Show No Love, Bryant Shows No Mercy
By CHRIS BROUSSARD
It was a terrific feel-good event, at first. Allen Iverson paid tribute to Julius Erving by proudly wearing Dr. J's No. 6. Michael Jordan laughed while attempting to show up the young stars who grew up revering him. And the great heavyweight champions Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, adversaries in an ugly, deeply personal feud for the past 30 years, sat next to each other in the front row, locking arms as they stood for the pregame singing of ''America the Beautiful.''
But as the 51st N.B.A. All-Star Game wore on today, the fans at the First Union Center squashed the benevolent spirit by showing disdain for one of Philadelphia's homegrown stars, Kobe Bryant.
While Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, scored more than a point a minute en route to leading the Western Conference to a 135-120 victory over the Eastern Conference and earning the game's Most Valuable Player award, the crowd of 19,581 booed him with increasing intensity.
Bryant, who went to high school in nearby Lower Merion, Pa., was booed each time he scored, and he finished with 31 points in 30 minutes. When he accepted the M.V.P. award at halfcourt, more derision rained down. He followed the tradition of acknowledging the crowd by raising the trophy, but his forced smile could not hide his disappointment.
''I was pretty upset, pretty hurt,'' said Bryant, whose father, Joe, played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970's. ''Coming into today's game, I was a little worried about it. I can't really describe the feelings I had when it happened. But I'm happy I played well and won the M.V.P. in Philadelphia. The boos were just hurtful, but it's not going to ruin this day for me.''
The most logical explanation for the cold reception was Bryant's role in helping the Lakers defeat the 76ers in last season's N.B.A. finals. Before the Lakers left Los Angeles for Philadelphia, where they won the series in five games, Bryant said, ''I'm going back to Philly to cut their hearts out.''
But even Iverson, the 76ers' superstar, thought the boos showed poor taste.
''I felt bad for him because at a happy time like that, you just want to enjoy it,'' said Iverson, who scored just 5 points on 2-for-9 shooting. ''Then by them booing him, it took a lot away from it because he is from here. I think if people took the time and thought, what if that was their kid up there, then it probably would not happen.''
It was not the first time fans in Philadelphia had treated Bryant rudely. When he announced that he would forgo college and turn pro out of Lower Merion High in 1996, some people perceived him as arrogant and turned against him. He was booed when he played his first game in Philadelphia as a rookie.
''That really, really hurt,'' Bryant, 23, said. ''Because it was like my homecoming, coming straight out of high school.''
After the game, the Dallas Mavericks' Don Nelson, who coached the West, told Bryant: ''Don't take it personal. They wish they had you. Forget about it. Who cares if they boo you.''
Bryant's intentions of winning the M.V.P. award were clear from the outset. He shot the ball often in going 12 for 25 and fell only two shots short of Rick Barry's All-Star Game record. With a fadeaway jumper and an all-out attack on the rim, Bryant scored 12 points in the first quarter to lead the West, which never trailed, to a 32-24 margin. He had 23 by halftime, and had scored all 31 of his points by the end of the third quarter. His point total was the highest in an All-Star Game since Jordan scored 40 in 1988.
The boos started softly and were initially heard only when Bryant scored a basket. But by the second half, the fans derided him whenever he touched the ball. He admitted that the boos decreased his exuberance, although a small number of fans began to cheer for him.
''The more people booed, some people started clapping and cheering even harder,'' Bryant said. ''That made me feel good.''
Although Bryant was the high scorer, several other players provided highlights, particularly Orlando's Tracy McGrady, who led the East with 24 points. In the most outstanding play of the game, McGrady dribbled upcourt against a full defense, tossed the ball off the backboard just as he reached the foul line, cut past Steve Nash, elevated, caught the ball off the glass and did a reverse dunk between Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.
Jordan, who scored 8 points and missed a breakaway dunk in the first quarter, missed seeing McGrady's play live because he was talking to the NBC broadcaster Jim Gray. But he caught it on the replay.
''Both of those guys are so exciting,'' Jordan said, referring to McGrady and Bryant, ''that you cannot lose focus of the game and you can't go get popcorn and you can't talk to the guy next to you or you just might miss something spectacular. That's the beauty of the game of basketball. That's the beauty of being creative.''
The clubs provided a highlight in the fourth quarter by combining for six straight 3-pointers en route to setting an All-Star Game record for 3-pointers with 22.
Still, the excitement of McGrady's slam and the 3-point shootout could not mask the rude treatment Bryant received.
''I'm the type of person where if something occurs in my life that's hurtful, I'm not going to let it hurt me but for so long,'' Bryant said. ''I'm going to turn it around and use it as some type of motivation.''
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E2D7103CF932A25751C0A9649C8B 63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/I/Iverson,%20Allen
I came across this article and wondered if there has ever been a NBA player who got booed at an All star game? Philly must HATE Kobe to show so much anger towards him.
It can't just be because Kobe and the Lakers beat the Sixers in the finals the previous year. Why didn't they boo Shaq during the introduction if that was the case? is it because they feel he betrayed the city by going to LA and playing for the Lakers? whatever it was, it was shocking to say the least. Kobe looked shocked, the NBA players behind him looked shocked, Ahmad Rashad looked shocked. I found it funny :oldlol: did anyone here actually feel bad for that arrogant snob? He had it coming..
By CHRIS BROUSSARD
It was a terrific feel-good event, at first. Allen Iverson paid tribute to Julius Erving by proudly wearing Dr. J's No. 6. Michael Jordan laughed while attempting to show up the young stars who grew up revering him. And the great heavyweight champions Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, adversaries in an ugly, deeply personal feud for the past 30 years, sat next to each other in the front row, locking arms as they stood for the pregame singing of ''America the Beautiful.''
But as the 51st N.B.A. All-Star Game wore on today, the fans at the First Union Center squashed the benevolent spirit by showing disdain for one of Philadelphia's homegrown stars, Kobe Bryant.
While Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, scored more than a point a minute en route to leading the Western Conference to a 135-120 victory over the Eastern Conference and earning the game's Most Valuable Player award, the crowd of 19,581 booed him with increasing intensity.
Bryant, who went to high school in nearby Lower Merion, Pa., was booed each time he scored, and he finished with 31 points in 30 minutes. When he accepted the M.V.P. award at halfcourt, more derision rained down. He followed the tradition of acknowledging the crowd by raising the trophy, but his forced smile could not hide his disappointment.
''I was pretty upset, pretty hurt,'' said Bryant, whose father, Joe, played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970's. ''Coming into today's game, I was a little worried about it. I can't really describe the feelings I had when it happened. But I'm happy I played well and won the M.V.P. in Philadelphia. The boos were just hurtful, but it's not going to ruin this day for me.''
The most logical explanation for the cold reception was Bryant's role in helping the Lakers defeat the 76ers in last season's N.B.A. finals. Before the Lakers left Los Angeles for Philadelphia, where they won the series in five games, Bryant said, ''I'm going back to Philly to cut their hearts out.''
But even Iverson, the 76ers' superstar, thought the boos showed poor taste.
''I felt bad for him because at a happy time like that, you just want to enjoy it,'' said Iverson, who scored just 5 points on 2-for-9 shooting. ''Then by them booing him, it took a lot away from it because he is from here. I think if people took the time and thought, what if that was their kid up there, then it probably would not happen.''
It was not the first time fans in Philadelphia had treated Bryant rudely. When he announced that he would forgo college and turn pro out of Lower Merion High in 1996, some people perceived him as arrogant and turned against him. He was booed when he played his first game in Philadelphia as a rookie.
''That really, really hurt,'' Bryant, 23, said. ''Because it was like my homecoming, coming straight out of high school.''
After the game, the Dallas Mavericks' Don Nelson, who coached the West, told Bryant: ''Don't take it personal. They wish they had you. Forget about it. Who cares if they boo you.''
Bryant's intentions of winning the M.V.P. award were clear from the outset. He shot the ball often in going 12 for 25 and fell only two shots short of Rick Barry's All-Star Game record. With a fadeaway jumper and an all-out attack on the rim, Bryant scored 12 points in the first quarter to lead the West, which never trailed, to a 32-24 margin. He had 23 by halftime, and had scored all 31 of his points by the end of the third quarter. His point total was the highest in an All-Star Game since Jordan scored 40 in 1988.
The boos started softly and were initially heard only when Bryant scored a basket. But by the second half, the fans derided him whenever he touched the ball. He admitted that the boos decreased his exuberance, although a small number of fans began to cheer for him.
''The more people booed, some people started clapping and cheering even harder,'' Bryant said. ''That made me feel good.''
Although Bryant was the high scorer, several other players provided highlights, particularly Orlando's Tracy McGrady, who led the East with 24 points. In the most outstanding play of the game, McGrady dribbled upcourt against a full defense, tossed the ball off the backboard just as he reached the foul line, cut past Steve Nash, elevated, caught the ball off the glass and did a reverse dunk between Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.
Jordan, who scored 8 points and missed a breakaway dunk in the first quarter, missed seeing McGrady's play live because he was talking to the NBC broadcaster Jim Gray. But he caught it on the replay.
''Both of those guys are so exciting,'' Jordan said, referring to McGrady and Bryant, ''that you cannot lose focus of the game and you can't go get popcorn and you can't talk to the guy next to you or you just might miss something spectacular. That's the beauty of the game of basketball. That's the beauty of being creative.''
The clubs provided a highlight in the fourth quarter by combining for six straight 3-pointers en route to setting an All-Star Game record for 3-pointers with 22.
Still, the excitement of McGrady's slam and the 3-point shootout could not mask the rude treatment Bryant received.
''I'm the type of person where if something occurs in my life that's hurtful, I'm not going to let it hurt me but for so long,'' Bryant said. ''I'm going to turn it around and use it as some type of motivation.''
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E2D7103CF932A25751C0A9649C8B 63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/I/Iverson,%20Allen
I came across this article and wondered if there has ever been a NBA player who got booed at an All star game? Philly must HATE Kobe to show so much anger towards him.
It can't just be because Kobe and the Lakers beat the Sixers in the finals the previous year. Why didn't they boo Shaq during the introduction if that was the case? is it because they feel he betrayed the city by going to LA and playing for the Lakers? whatever it was, it was shocking to say the least. Kobe looked shocked, the NBA players behind him looked shocked, Ahmad Rashad looked shocked. I found it funny :oldlol: did anyone here actually feel bad for that arrogant snob? He had it coming..