The Sports World Is Rich in Responsible, Humble Athletes, but Kobe’s Not One

Right after faulting us for making “gods of men,” Elizabeth Kaye notches up the hero-worship herself by calling Kobe Bryant “an artist” (“Kobe’s Second Act,” Oct. 31). It made me wonder where the line is drawn--not between sports and art, which is too obvious to warrant explanation, but between simple, honest admiration of sports figures and the obsequious, ridiculous adulation that Kaye practices even as she condemns it.

But it gets worse. She then asserts that “selfishness and arrogance are job qualifications for an artist” such as Bryant. No. The history of sports is replete with examples of athletes who graced their professions with their humility and who were mindful of their responsibility to countless young fans who looked to them as examples of how to live.

There have been sports celebrities who, thankfully, lacked the “ego as big as the sky” that Kaye finds so majestic. What they had was simply confidence, tempered by the awareness that they were blessed with a gift. Yes, they worked at it, but nonetheless it was truly a gift that they were inexplicably chosen to possess. They were lucky, they knew it and they strove to be worthy of it.

Kobe Bryant is not that athlete.

Dawn O’Leary

Santa Monica

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Kaye describes Bryant as having come into the league as “the ideal rookie,” and that he eventually changed. While his talents were developed in the NBA (including his arrogance and selfishness), he did not get into the league without the desire to defy gravity.

If Bryant misses a jump shot, then he has failed as an athlete. Nevertheless, we are, regardless of our gifts and talents, human beings. If any one of us does not act as a responsible human being, then we have failed.

Kevin Prince

Torrance

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I disagree with Kaye on whether rooting for Bryant is a moot point. It is not up to me to judge whether he had consensual sex in Colorado; that was left up to the judicial system. What really bothers me is that he ratted out a teammate to justify his actions. In my old neighborhood in the Bronx, if Bryant had squealed on a friend or foe, he would have been shunned. He might have received an injury or two. I don’t think I will be looking at him as I did before. As far as I’m concerned, no amount of skill on the basketball court can overcome his pointing a finger at a teammate.

Jerry Baruch

Los Angeles

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What’s the issue here? Kobe is a professional athlete and will play in L.A. as long as he gets what he demands. He will occasionally sulk, slack off or get surly, and when his skills decline or his demands can’t be met, he will go elsewhere. L.A. isn’t a better city for his being here, anymore than it is because the Dodgers and the Clippers are here, and it wasn’t diminished by the departure of the Rams or the Raiders.

Desmond O’Neill

Santa Barbara