Kobe Bryant Hilariously Calls Folks At ESPN “Idiots”
By Terri Washington
@Terri7589
Getty Images
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. In Kobe Bryant‘s case, what ESPN ranks you doesn’t mean a thing.
ESPN recently came out with their player rankings in which they ranked Bryant number 40 on their list of 2014 NBA Player Rankings. When sports fans caught wind of the ranking, most people were opposed to the five time NBA champion’s spot on the list. Bryant and the ranking were trending topics on Twitter all day on Thursday and well into Friday morning.
“I’ve known for a long time that they’re a bunch of idiots” Bryant told the Los Angeles media on Thursday when asked how he felt about his ranking, “all jokes aside, I’m going to do what I do regardless. If I wind up proving people wrong in the process, that’ll just wind up being collateral damage.”
Bryant was sidelined throughout most of the 2013-14 season, only playing in six games. The ESPN ranking must have had everything to do with Bryant seeing little playing time last season because ranking 39 players ahead of Bryant is laughable. Statistically speaking, if the ranking took one player from each team in the top 30, Bryant wouldn’t be the best player on any team, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Every sports fan, regardless of whether or not they watch basketball or follow the Lakers, knows that there is no way that would be true.
Although Bryant acts as if there is no merit to the ranking and it doesn’t mean anything to him, his response tells a different story. If Bryant wasn’t bothered by the ranking, he never would’ve responded, not even jokingly. Obviously there was some discomfort from the ranking because it piles on to the argument that Bryant is slow, old, and should hang up his hat; especially when there are players who have never even seen a Finals round ranked ahead of him. Bryant’s response was hilarious not because of what he said, but the fact that he said anything. He doesn’t have to answer to ESPN or anyone else; he just has to prove them wrong.
Prove them wrong he will. This ranking, whether or not it is admitted, is fuel to the fire. Bryant is a fierce competitor who, undoubtedly, will come back stronger for the 2014-15 season and ESPN’s ranking of him will be a distant memory for the superstar.
Terri Washington is a Los Angeles Clippers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @Terri7589, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.
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