I was perusing youtube last night and came across a video called "Lakers/Celtics Bad Officiating" with its submitter claiming "Kobe can't get a call in his favor from the refs no matter how hard he goes to the hole and gets fouled."

This video is perfect example of seeing what you want to see.

I'll admit I'm not Kobe Bryant's biggest fan. I don't care for most aspects of his play and attitude (weak defense - except for the highlight reel, selfish offense, unjustified arrogance, pretending Shaq's greatness is his own, etc.) And I'll admit I don't like the Lakers (on the other hand, I don't like the Celtics much these days either - dearest Lord, bring me back to 1986).

Considering the notion that the world is divided into Celtics and Lakers fans, watch the following video, assess your emotions, and you should know which you are. I'm convinced, however, that my distaste for the Lakers has no bearing on the fact that I am positive this video is crap. It shows Kobe Bryant driving to the hoop over and over and deservedly not getting foul calls. Yet, with the caption on this video, combined with the commentary of the L.A. announcers, it's easy to be lulled into the notion that this is simply bad officiating or Celtics home cooking.

Sorry, it's not home cooking. You know what it is? It's that guy we've all played with in pick-up ball who rams into you and calls a foul...every...single...time. Only in this case, it's the NBA, and Kobe has to rely on other people to make his lame ass foul calls for him. And they ain't playing that. And he doesn't like it. Wah.

Almost every drive to the hoop in a given basketball game initiates contact, and almost any play can appear to be foul. But they're not all fouls. And the slow motion replays on this particular video proove that out. This is a whining prima donna of a player tossing himself toward the basket and looking for calls. Just because he doesn't have the clout to intimidate officials like Jordan did, doesn't mean he's getting screwed out of calls. These are legit non-calls, and he's doing what comes naturally to himself, Phil Jackson, and Laker nation - whine.

Proof of the whining will come, I assure you. I can already see the angry e-mails by Laker fans who - despite Kobe scoring 43 in the game, scoring a basket on almost every play where he supposedly got fouled, and the Lakers winning the game against a lowly, pathetic Celtics team - will feel compelled to tell me what a baised idiot I am, and how blind I am to Kobe's greatness.

Let 'em come.

Labels: Celtics, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Whine