This is The Drive with Josh Graham Podcast.
Tune into The Drive weekday afternoons three to seven on Sports Hub Triad. Yesterday was the most shocked and saddened I've ever been because of a sports story. It's gonna be one of those days you remember every detail of upon learning Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others have been killed in a helicopter crash. And it was even more surreal for me because I was in a basketball arena when it all happened. Specifically, I was at Joel Coliseum.
Wake Forest had just lost by two points in overtime to Virginia. Danny Manning was conducting his postgame press conference. And during press conferences, I'm on Twitter, I'm live tweeting what Tony Bennett, Coach Manning, and a couple of the players have to say after games.
I'm not usually on my phone and on Twitter, contrary to popular belief. I don't have notifications on my phone aside from calls and text messages, but since I was on Twitter during the presser, I saw my mentions and they started lighting up with listeners saying, Josh did you see this? Have you seen this report?
Have you seen this story? And they all involved Kobe and helicopter crash. At that point nothing was confirmed except by TMZ. None of the details were out yet except Kobe dead 41 helicopter crash.
That's what we had. So the press conference ends and it's myself and Les Johns walking up to the podium and Les asks Danny the question, hey did you hear about Kobe? And I think there are enough people named Kobe on this planet to this day that Danny is right and responding the way he did. He asked, Kobe who?
Kobe Bryant. And we told the news to Danny Manik, I've never heard him curse in my life but he's sitting there at the podium in a chair right after the press conference ended and he just responded with holy bleep. The way that everybody responded.
It's understandable that somebody would react that way. So I walk outside of the press room, across the doors, across from the front of the media room is the visiting locker room inside the Joel Coliseum. Virginia, their players were elated. They had just won in overtime on the road. They were happy, they were celebrating. I saw somebody who I knew to be a Virginia staffer and told him the same thing I told coach Manning, hey Kobe Bryant had just died in the helicopter crash and much like everybody reacted he was in disbelief but I was overheard by a 10 to 12 year old girl outside of the Virginia locker room who yelled across to me, hey what did you just say? And I had to repeat it again and there was a lot of that going on as the room was spread with the same news and it spread like wildfire. She was emotional, she began going on her phone and calling people just to see if they were okay. Players were bordering tears, she was bordering tears and outside of the locker room Tony Bennett he walks out and gives her a hug it turns out it's Tony's daughter. Players one by one walked out of that locker room and they learned the news that we were all still trying the process and these players who most of them had to idolize Kobe, had to have idolized Kobe.
It was, it really resonated with me there, it really did. Seeing, being in a basketball arena and seeing basketball players learn in real time that one of their heroes had passed in surprising tragic fashion, that's something that's always going to stick with me. You could tweet the show at sportsubtriad, 336-777-1600 is the phone number if you have reaction to the news. Robert Walsh is the producer of this program, Aaron Gabriel is here in the law offices of Timothy D. Wellborn Studios. We'll get perspective from the voice of the Charlotte Hornets John Fokie in about 25 minutes, fresh off a trip to France. The Hornets the first ever team to play a regular season basketball game in that state or in that country, excuse me, playing in Paris. So we're gonna spend a lot of time obviously on Kobe Bryant's legacy but we are wrestling with what to do on today's show because I understand many of you come to this radio show for some laughs to have some fun.
Sports usually it's light-hearted and get gets you away from some of the things that are bothering you, whether it's at work, whether it's in your home, it's used as an escape in many ways. This is one of those rare stories where the sports headline is what you might want to escape from but I feel like years from now, decades from now, people were going to be asking where were you the day Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident. So I ask you Robert Walsh, where were you? Yeah when the news happened I was on the way to my friend's house to watch the Royal Rumble.
We always do a pool, kind of like a lottery system, whoever wins they get some money. So I needed change so I went through a Taco Bell drive-thru and as I'm going through there to pick up my Baja Blast I look at the girl after I've read the news on my phone and I was like holy crap, Kobe Bryant just died. And she looks at me and goes who's Kobe Bryant?
And I just wanted to drive off and throw my Baja Blast back through the window. What's the most stunning thing about that story? Three options here. Number one, that Robert decides to go to Taco Bell in order to get change. Two, that that lady, how old would you say she was? Oh she was 16, 17 years old.
That she had no idea who Kobe Bryant was. Or number three, the Baja Blast still a thing in 2020. It's delicious.
I cannot quit it. I've never had a Baja Blast. Are you joking? I've never had one.
I will get you, I'm bringing you in a Baja Blast tomorrow. Aaron, what's the most surprising part about that story? That Robert would visit a Taco Bell in general.
How are you surprised by that in any way? Robert, he comes in almost every morning saying that he's sick and he's like man I may have eaten something. Not sick. I may have eaten something and I ask what you eat as if I don't know. Yeah you're out there eating Taco Bell you might feel sick. I just had a Baja Blast. It wasn't a full Taco Bell meal.
What is that a carbonated beverage, a Baja Blast? This story, it almost sounds like the Peter King tweet from five or six years ago where he puts out, every time he puts out a tweet he says what city he's in as if he's starting a column or something. Milwaukee. Asked restaurant host. God, did you hear about Robin Williams?
Host, no. Me, he died. He killed himself.
Thought he might cry. Sir, if this teaches you anything, people in the service industry are heartless. They do not care about what's going on in the regular world. I can second that as a bartender. It's true. So yeah you must have been tending bar last night. You do some of that on the weekends. So what was the best story you had in tending bar while this all happened there?
It kind of unfolded with guests. It was during brunch hours so people having the mimosas and bloody marys and carrying on and somebody came in and said you know oh my god you hear what happened with Kobe Bryant and my first thought was you know you're lying through your teeth you know it's not true you know it's an internet hoax you need to confirm your sources for you come here spreading jibber-jabber like that and of course finding out it was true and in 10-15 minutes later television picked it up so it just kind of spread around the bar. TMZ is still that one place where you hold out just a one or two percent piece of hope that it's not true. Like if it's reported by the AP or by conventional media traditional media we'll call it you just assume it's right but with TMZ even though they've gotten Michael Jackson right and first Prince Whitney Houston and now this there's still that one or two percent hope why because seven or eight years ago they got Lil Wayne wrong they killed Lil Wayne a few years ago you still hold out that one or two percent hope when it's TMZ but it's a it's a strange deal when something like this happens you just want to talk to somebody I found myself calling family members and I was on the way home filling up getting some gas at Costco there was this random stranger behind me and I really badly wanted to start a conversation with the complete stranger just because in a moment like this the first thing you want to do is tell somebody else but also you want to talk about it with someone if it means that much to you odds are it might mean something else just as much to somebody else yes Rob for sure yeah and I after I realized that I didn't get the necessary change I stopped at a gas station to actually get I was like you know what I'm just gonna stop and it was almost like I told a joke that no one heard and I had to say it again when I went the gas station I asked did you guys hear about Kobe Bryant and everyone was shocked and appalled and it was like finally I got that punchline I got that that validation that I needed that oh it's not just me that felt bad about this the quote that sticks out to be the most based on all the great stories and tributes I read yesterday comes from Bill Plaske of the LA Times who said this on your best days the days you landed a big account or aced a big test or just survived a battle with traffic you felt like Kobe you were Kobe and in the end as he retired into a life of movies and books and coaching Gianna's basketball team he was us now that's a great quote and something good to think about Robert is there anything you've heard or listened to the last day that has really stuck with you as a great tribute yeah I mean it's my favorite honestly my one of my favorite Kobe moments ever and it uh it gives me some giggles sometimes how much more do you want from me more how much more successful do you want me to be more successful how many records can my records break more records but but I'm the best but are you a different animal and the same beast what the fuck does that mean Kobe Bryant you're welcome is that Kanye West yes so you got Kanye there in the audience of this Nike commercial different animal this isn't being talked about enough today because the story is not funny in any way but Kobe is a very funny guy Kobe is very entertaining he has awesome comedic timing and commercials he used to do they were always on point coming up aside from that clip you just heard and Kobe's comedic timing one thing I take solace in knowing with Kobe's passing this is the drive everybody listen up you're on the drive with Josh Graham I can't believe this this is insane with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant from Lower Merrion High School in Pennsylvania oh yes as you know Kobe Bryant drafted 13th overall in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets but the Lakers had of course the rights to Kobe and that was the trade with Lottie Devach and something that we're gonna recount I think certainly today but certainly as the decades go on and continue to ask what if John Fokie the play-by-play voice of the Charlotte Hornets kind enough to spend time here now on sports up triad I've seen that Marvin Williams was out to speak earlier today and also James Borrego wasn't feeling well today so we didn't see his comments on Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan the Hornets owner he had his statement yesterday what reaction from a player or coach that you've seen the last 24 hours with the Hornets stands out to you well Josh I think just moments ago standing there and watching as Nick Batu Marvin Williams miles bridges and assistant coach Jay Triano spoke I mean you could just you could hear it in their voice kind of how how heavy this this situation is and you know you could see it in their eyes too you know this is this is it's sad I mean there's there's just no other way to put it it's devastatingly sad and you know I think what what Marvin said about the impact that Kobe had you know not only on the guys that competed against him but on the generations that are coming after him I think really stood out to me that basically you know we all took something from Kobe whether that was you you took a move whether you wanted to emulate his drive you know his focus whatever it is Kobe gets so much back to the basketball community and just you know the community at large with the way he was able to inspire people and you know I've seen people in the business world people in the sports radio world talk about how Kobe inspired them to work harder you know through his impact went far beyond basketball and there's there's just been so many touching tributes there's been so many you know former players or journalists who have covered Kobe throughout his career that have offered their thoughts on it it's just really sad man I mean it it's really sad it's sudden you know when I got the news yesterday I think I was like everybody else where I didn't believe it at first and then you know you start checking other sources and all of a sudden okay this this actually happened and then you try to you try to wrap your mind around it and you know because of how sudden it was I just don't know that we've been able to do that yet I think you know watching the fans yesterday flock to Staples Center and pay their respects it reminded me a lot Josh of when Prince passed away in Minneapolis a couple of years ago and like people just didn't know what to do and you want to grieve together you want to mourn together you want to celebrate who he was you know together and after Prince passed away it was like folks just started flocking to First Avenue the the music venue that Prince made famous in his Purple Rain movie and they ended up shutting the streets down around First Avenue and it just turned into like a four-day dance party because people just didn't know what else to do and they knew that that would make them feel better and so seeing you know everybody show up at Staples Center last night the way that they did and try to try to just wrap their minds around it it reminded me a lot of that it's still very surreal like I can't get my mind wrap my mind around the graphic where it says 78 to 2020 it still has it completely set in for me at John Fokie with us the voice of the Charlotte Hornets being in basketball as long as you have in the NBA what's the best Kobe story you've heard well I mean I was fortunate enough to cover some of Kobe's games and go to games as a fan and you know watch watch Kobe in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves and you know I had an opportunity to cover the Western Conference Finals in 2004 when the Timberwolves are playing the LA Lakers and I got up there early I was working for a sports radio I was working for a radio station in southern Minnesota doing sports for them and they're supposed to be like this big outdoor festival and so I got up I got up to the city's really early and was planning on like taking in the festival and everything but his pouring rain everything got canceled I ended up just kind of wandering around Target Center for hours before the game got started and Kobe came out to warm up and he was donning like the left kind of left baseline area that he was put up shot just going through his routine there was a group of fans that were there they were you know just just trash-talking them and heckling them and Kobe just he never broke concentration I mean he was just getting shot after shot after shot it you know going through his normal routine and as he finally wrapped up he never acknowledged the fans at all he's just so dialed in soon as he wrapped up he turned and he's kind of gave him that little Kobe smile Kobe smirk and it was just fascinating to watch I mean you know his is single-minded determination and focus you know I you don't see that very often and I'm trying to think through my mind like up close and personally one of the only other times I saw something similar was watching Tiger Woods live as he you know hit a tee shot and walked down and there's thousands of people around just you know trying to get his attention and cheering him on and I mean Tiger just like he was he was so zeroed in you know that was kind of that that focus that you saw out of out of Kobe in that moment and then I was there when he passed Michael Jordan on the all-time the NBA's all-time scoring list that he did that at Target Center and you know listening to him speak afterwards and kind of reflect upon it in the moment as they stopped the game that made the announcement handed at the game ball it was it was really neat it would need to be to be around those moments and you know I never had any one-on-one interaction with Kobe but you know just being around for those moments and being in the building for those moments you know those are some of the things that'll stay stay with me real quickly two things here Nick's Hornets tomorrow night in Charlotte do you know if there's anything planned the Hornets are going to do in honor of Kobe well the guys talked after practice today that they're gonna they're gonna discuss that and come up with something I mean you saw the tributes yesterday I imagine there's going to be a pregame moment of silence and then there will be some tribute you know done by by the Hornets and the players or by the two teams but we don't know what that is right now they were going to beat about that and figure it out what was the highlight of the France trip highlight of the France trip honestly I think was was meeting a couple of guys who are diehard Hornets fans one was from London and one was from from France and these guys covered the team over there they stay up till three o'clock in the morning and getting a chance to chat with them and just hear their stories I think was was really really deep because you think about like out dedicated you know we've got dedicated fans here in the States but outside of West Coast games you still go to bed at a decent hour well were they were they platoon fans or were they wearing old-school Hornets gear no they were straight-up Hornets fans so one of the guys was a big Kemba Walker fan at UConn and he became a Hornets fan and then when Kemba left he said you know what I'm still a Hornets fan and another guy was a fan from from a long time ago he may have been a Bobcats fan into a Hornets fan but these were guys that have been fans for a really long time so that was that was really neat yeah that's awesome well John next time we speak we'll be speaking on better circumstances it's one of the darkest days the NBA has had and certainly one of the more surprising headlines we've seen in sports history I think in our lifetime so John I appreciate you being here in what's been a busy time with you guys getting back from France it's certainly appreciated absolutely take care of Josh you got it that's John Fokie he's on Twitter at JW Fokie F O C K E I don't think there's a day you could compare an NBA history to this maybe Magic Johnson announcing that he has the HIV virus that sticks out in the early 1990s Jordan picking basket baseball over basketball but he then returned magic everyone thought it was a death sentence he's still with us today Lembias in the mid 80s that comes to mind but it's different because he he was iconic in circles the college basketball circles but it was about a star that could have been while Kobe he was he was and I don't think the NBA's had a day that's as tough as yesterday was I really don't but what a month it's been for the NBA just think about it January 1st of this year David Stern passes away one of the most important non player figures this league's ever had it's probably him and red hour back then Zion Williamson makes his debut and then the day after Kobe Bryant is passed by LeBron James Kobe dies in a helicopter accident just a wild month a wild start to 2020 up next the two things that made yesterday's news more painful for everybody keep it here on the drive welcome to the show that cloned the Loch Ness monster and got her drunk the drive with Josh crab I like when Robert wants to cheer me up he just goes into the Coldplay library like today's a day we all need to be cheered up after the depressing headline from yesterday and we're continuing to learn more and more about the surprising and sudden death of Kobe Bryant at 41 years old the way I get past it's by focusing on Super Bowl 54 which you can listen to right here on sports up triad Sunday night and talking a little bit of Panthers football with Jordan Rodriguez but before we get to the football and food portions of the conversation as a journalist I'm interested in your perspective on where we're at when it comes to breaking news stories such as yesterday did anything from yesterday bother you at all about how this story we learned about it how it continued developing and breaking on end oh my god yes you know it and I laugh but it's no joke I mean really these are people's lives and there were children involved in this tragically yeah and so I was I was extremely disappointed you know by some of these very very public and widespread mistakes that were being made in the journalistic process you know basic confirmation of facts and details waiting and tell confirmation and I know that there's some debate over what the Los Angeles mayor said about you know the TMZ should have waited to report or quote-unquote break the story and tell that the families were informed informed you know I go back to what you know day one of journalism school and every journalism school is different and I get that but in most programs across the country one of the first things they teach is do no harm and being correct is better than being right in today's society it's so and I have to you know deal with this all the time when it comes to sourcing and breaking news on professional athletes and getting scoops or sitting on scoops and and you know there is so all of it can come back to what is it really worth breaking the tragedy breaking the news of a tragedy like that what is it really worth because it's never about with something of that magnitude it should never ever ever be about who got it first it should be who had them the accurate information who approached the story with the care and the nuance that it deserves and the pillars and foundations of journalism Jordan Roderick with us on Twitter at Jordan Roderick and we actually have some breaking news to pass along before we get to the football according to the athletic in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant passing away Lakers Clippers tomorrow night has been postponed this is official tomorrow night there will be no Lakers Clippers at Staples Center but Jordan looking ahead to what you're more what's more your expertise in terms of what you cover Panthers the Panthers have a new coaching staff we're still learning who's going to be a part of Matt rules staff and we learned that the Cleveland Browns have brought Andrew Berry back as their general manager he was the Eagles VP of football operations that the Panthers were blocked from interviewing when do you think time wise timeline wise the Panthers are going to finish up Matt rules staff and they're going to hire the VP of football ops to join Marty Hurney in the front office well I think the staff is done pretty much and you know I'm I think they're waiting on like getting bios written and headshots taken right now honestly like I really think it's it's kind of down to that at this point as to why we haven't heard anything official from the team it's kind of tough you know all of these a lot of these guys are coming out of Waco and from all over and then you have to get to the senior bowl so you're kind of like parachuting into the senior bowl and then you you know have yet to be in set set foot in Charlotte and you know it's just been a logistics nightmare but it sounds like they're pretty much done at this point in terms of the VP I know that they have been interested in interviewing people and you know obviously they hired a cap ologist to come in which is a very important position especially to get into place before free agency and like before all the whisper networks that the combine takes place so that's really crucial I don't know I think they're taking their time on this in terms of the VP position I think it's kind of a sense that I get it's not like there's a lack of urgency there it's just that it's a little bit tough to do these things right now when teams are prepping for the draft and the Panthers are very much embedded in pre-draft prep and process and so you know part of me thinks that they could get some they could very well get something done before the draft but then it's almost like what's the point of that guy being in the building if he's had no hand in this preparation for the draft process and so either you're getting someone in who's just really great in free agency or has you know he's got his own list of prospects or things like that and I almost wonder if you know we might hear something a little bit closer to the draft it's not even maybe after that wouldn't surprise me I mean obviously people they'd like to have everything stable by the time a new crop of prospects in a new series of free agents come in and the staff is getting set up but it you know really wouldn't surprise me if they take a lot of time to kind of determine this candidate and and I do think that you know at face value it appears that Marty Hurney is in pretty full control of the draft process and I wouldn't see that changing unless you know they come out this week and they say hey here's our guy which you know crazy things have happened but it just very much seems like they're taking their time on this very early on I remember you and I had a discussion a few years ago about who the Panthers were highlighting with the top ten pick and you said I think they really like McCaffrey I think it's a good fit and it ended up happening and last year you were one of the people that pinpointed Brian Burns as well I know it's early on and this is not something you're gonna be tied to or binded to obviously because we haven't even had the the scouting combine or pro days or any of that but is there a name at seven that if a name drops there you could realistically see Carolina racing to the podium or I guess taking one of those boats that they have to get to the stage in Las Vegas in order to get the pick in yeah you know Josh what I love about you is you highlight my accomplishments before you ask me the question it's very nice I appreciate I think um I think Isaiah Simmons or Jay Von Kinlaw I think are two guys who you absolutely sprint to the podium at seven if you have a chance to get either one of those guys Isaiah I think became really very much in consideration once Luke equally announced his retirement you know you they don't have much depth on that roster right now and you know Shaq Thompson's gonna need a partner to run with and to kind of control that entire defense with I don't think you find that guy in later rounds I think if you if you pick a guy in later rounds to come do that if you're not bringing him in a free agency he has to be a top ten caliber player who's going to be on the field immediately and be a day one you know minute one impact player I also think gave on it is one of those guys and I'm really concerned about their depth on the defensive line it's hard you know a couple years ago when you saw Dave Gettleman and how desperately he needed corners after letting Josh Norman walk we're sending this franchise tag offer and he went and drafted Vernon Butler at defensive tackle first like I would caution against doing something like that like oh no I don't I don't need corners that bad like I would really caution against doing something like that because that's how you end up with Vernon Butler and so I think that you need to it doesn't if you're especially if your need your top need which I would say right now linebacker and defensive tackle are equally key needs for them I'd say that if those if either of those positions line up with best player available like you have to sprint send the carrier pigeon whatever you have to do send a rocket ship you have to get that guy what fascinates you about the matchup or an aspect of the matchup between 49ers and Chiefs because while I'm highlighting some of the accomplishments that you've had in journalism for people who don't know you you are just a massive football nerd and I mean that in the nicest way possible what's something that you look at when you see Chiefs 49ers that you're most interested to watch on Sunday well I just think I just think it's fun football I think that people who have been so excited about the modernization of the game how analytics are balanced with personnel decisions are balanced with talent are balanced with making the right calls are balanced with cadence are balanced with you know doing the things you need to do on defense I think that you have to near very nearly perfect modern football teams playing against each other and that is so exciting for people who as you said are geeking out like myself because you just know you're going to watch something really cool and and what I also think is interesting is you're going to watch things happen next week that will or this week I guess gosh where does time go you're gonna watch things happen that teams will be picking and borrowing from in the 2020 season they will throw things out against each other I think that teams will pick at and borrow and kind of pluck at threads throughout the 2020 season because they see that it works and so I think that's going to be exciting is what kind of blueprint this game leaves on the game Jordan Rodriguez with the athletic Carolinas with this reader work at the athletic it's a lot of the best writing you're going to find heck does that mean your friend with friends with Matthew McConaughey now that now that McConaughey's put like a bunch of money into the athletic I mean I don't know what the policy is on that I was so stoked to see that did you see there's one to John Hamm apparently is an avid reader of the athletic so like I passed out basically you should try and work that into some of the stories maybe at the very end to say hi John Hamm yo what's going on she's on Twitter at Jordan Rodriguez so we do food and football every single time you're with us and I think we've talked about beers from time to time but I'm interested because this is a conversation we've had behind the scenes and even on the air at some point what's your policy on mixed drinks what are some of the mixed drinks that you like I don't really I don't really care for mixed drinks very much I feel like if I'm gonna drink I like wine like when I'm reading or trying to relax and I like beer just because you know it's awesome but I really I'm not really a mixed drink person I think it's smart if you're out of you know you know a work event I kind of do this thing where I'll do like the combine I know we always have fun talking about the combine every year like that's a place where there are several watering holes all around but for me I like to kind of look and observe and gather information and I'll do usually like a sparkling water with two lines in it and a little mini like thin straw so it looks like you know I'm not you know some someone standing in the corner unable to participate in this in the festivities and also you know that I'm you know keeping my keeping my wits about me and so I think that's kind of a trick that Marcel actually if you have them on you and I kind of passed that along last year but I don't know I kind of I guess Moscow mules I kind of like in the in the winter but I'm not really a mixed drink I've sworn off soda for 2020 but we put this out to a Twitter poll and 60 or 70 percent of people hundreds of people voting on this said that if alcohol is in the drink it does not count as soda where do you fall on that well Josh I actually have not drank soda in about 12 years at all so I could not tell you I don't drink it I don't get it you know if I get if I have to get a mixed drink I will drink something straight like rather than drink soda I just cannot stand it so that's that's kind of where I'm at I do love sparkling water though so sign me up for for all of that Jordan you're the best we'll chat soon thanks for doing this thanks Josh appreciate you take care yeah that's Jordan Rodriguez from the athletic Carolinas all right let's get into some of this breaking news as I mentioned the NBA now has just put out a statement saying that Clippers Lakers is going to be postponed the next scheduled game for Los Angeles is gonna be a home game this Friday against the Portland Trailblazers according to Shams Karanya he says that do you say shams or do you say Shams Shams guy he says that the Lakers are nowhere near ready to play basketball right now grieving the loss of Kobe and we saw LeBron on the tarmac yesterday which I think confirms a lot of that NC State and North Carolina have taken to the floor for warm-ups in Raleigh and minutes after I said I have a feeling Cole Anthony is gonna play tonight Cole Anthony walks out in a suit it's usually a pretty good sign that you're not gonna play if you walk out on the floor wearing a suit conversely Mandy Bates who missed Saturday's game against Georgia Tech for the pack he is in warm-up gear and appears to be a full go that's according to Joe Gillio of the Raleigh News and Observer what do those two pieces of information mean trouble for North Carolina however does common sense is common sense enough to outdo what we believe to be NC State stuff NC State stuff I should say right everything we've seen in the ACC this weekend it hasn't made much sense like Wake Forest they were without you do the math they were without Brandon Childress I thought it was a terrible sign I thought I thought Wake Forest wasn't gonna score more than 35 in the game against Virginia when I walk in and see him in a walking boot and Chaundy Brown still wearing sweat no Chaundy Brown no Brandon Childress no Sharron Wright jr. they score 35 and a half they take Virginia overtime they lost by two but it was a great effort by by Wake Forest I didn't think they'd be able to do that Georgia Tech beats NC State North Carolina hammers and injured Miami just expect the unexpected we have time for one more call it's good advance who's in Boone what do you got on Toby passing what what's your contribution here bands I'm on yeah you're wrong oh yeah my moral compass disorder in a dilemma right now ever since his passing people now want to bring up the rate case from I think it was 2001 2003 2003 and even though it never even made it the trial he sort of admitted to it almost and I just it seems like people want to drag people people want to drag Toby down after the fact that all this has happened and I just don't I don't know if it's right or wrong yeah Vance it's a great question you bring up appreciate the call I think it's definitely something that needs to be discussed like if we've learned anything from the last couple of years it's that women should not be dismissed just that simply they should not be dismissed you should listen to what is said however when you look at the 2003 case what people have interpreted as Kobe admitting that he raped that woman in Colorado I think the way I interpreted it was him apologizing not just to the woman but to his wife apologizing for infidelity you can interpret that as him saying that he was wrong and that he raped that woman no he is settling to get this dismissed and to get it written and to have the case not heard incur in court she elected to settle as well people always just look at the the prominent figure in this and say he settled that means he's wrong no the other side chose to settle as well no one was forcing her to settle right so I don't know and you don't know I'm not protecting Kobe in that regard but when it was first published by a Washington Post reporter that's the place I saw it first person talking about the 2003 case after Kobe passed away it was less than an hour after TMZ broke the news right like the Calabasas Hills that were engulfed in flames and that had smoke in them all night that hadn't subsided by the time people were already discussing it so I take issue with that now does that mean the people such as that Washington Post reporter who brought it up and was suspended today are wrong to do so I don't think so or I don't think they should be punished for it I don't think it's the right thing morally to do because that's the way you approached it you have a moral dilemma I don't I think you should talk about these things I think you should talk about him calling a referee a homophobic slur in 2010 but the best line that I read the day in addition to what Bill Plasky has wrote comes from Charles Pierce who said quote Kobe will be measured by how deeply you believe he corrected his faults and what I've seen publicly and what everybody has talked about is how much he loves his kids who were his daughters and the way he's been an advocate for women athletes whether it be the US Women's National Team or the WNBA that shows me that he's grown when it looks when you look at the homophobic slur Robert what are some of the steps he's taken to better himself in that regard after that slip-up that led to a big fine I took a number of glad classes I don't know that what the acronym is but I know it is something about fighting against the the homophobic slurs and whatnot he took those classes and then spoke at events for them he put people on blast who used messages such as that on Twitter yeah enduring games if fans would shout homophobic slurs he would correct them while on the court right so I don't think you should be defined by just the mistakes it's how you respond to them and how much growth you show is a response and I see Kobe Bryant as someone who's shown a lot of growth
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-02-10 23:50:14 / 2023-02-11 00:05:33 / 15