Kobe Bryant's Top 5 Moments of Media Madness

Kobe Bryant’s reported “homophobic slur” towards a referee in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the San Antonio Spurs is not the only time in his career where he has had a slip of the tongue in front of cameras.

Known for his strong personality, Bryant is no stranger to controversy and is usually on the troubled end of the public eye. That is who he has become, and as long as he performs like an All-Star on the court, we turn the other cheek. Shouldn’t we?

How important is a player’s persona when it comes to the sport they play? Michael Jordan was probably the cockiest athlete in the world, but he was always praised for the rings he brought to Chicago and the name he made for himself as a businessman.

Whatever views you may hold about him as a man, you have to admit that Kobe Bryant is an extremely controversial person, even when he is not trying to be. Here are five of the headlines that Bryant has taken part in as such a famed public figure.

Kobe Bryant’s Ad for Turkish Airline Sparks Controversy

Kobe starred in an ad for Turkish Airlines a short while ago, but did not know how much would stem from the role. As far as he was concerned, Bryant was just doing another advertisement for a company that paid him to do so. He signed a two-year deal that included him publicizing the airline, partially owned by the Turkish government.

Armenian-Americans were among the most fired up about the ad, because of Turkey official’s lack of recognition for the Armenians that were murdered from 1915–1917.

The country refuses to look at the murders as genocides, and they were upset that Bryant would participate in such a brand. Problems lie in the fact that Kobe Bryant was more than likely unaware of Turkey’s history.

Armenian-Americans’ anger was unfounded and the issues trickled away slowly, but surely.

Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O'Neal

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PHOENIX - FEBRUARY 15: Co-MVPs Shaquille O'Neal #32 and Kobe Bryant #24 of the Western Conference are interviewed by TNT's Ernie Johnson after the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference in the 58th NBA All-Star Game, part of 2009 NBA All-Star

Kobe and Shaq were two of the most dominant players during their time together. Unfortunately for them, they could not manage to stay together. When Shaq came to the Lakers, no one expected that a rivalry would bloom. Up until the 1999 season, there wasn't any.

But, when Shaq began to feel like Kobe was being too selfish with the ball, he spoke up about it and thus a long-lived tension was created.

The blow-up probably took place when Bryant was absent from Lakers camp because of his legal obligations and injury, and Shaq made it a point to alienate Kobe from any discussion he had about the team. He even went as far as saying that the entire team was present when Bryant was missing.

After Shaq was traded to Miami Heat, a lot of reports swirled that Kobe had let investigators know of O’Neal’s habits with women he involved himself with besides his former wife, Shaunie O’Neal.

The two are not dueling now, with each trading pleasantries on the court when they face off and congratulating each other when the time calls for it.

Kobe Bryant's Sexual Assault Case

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 05: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers sits on the bench before the game with the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 5, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The Jazz won 86-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and a

Kobe Bryant was arrested in the summer of 2003, stemming from allegations made by a 19-year-old hotel worker who accused him of raping her during his stay. Bryant only admitted to having sex with the girl, but readily denied the sexual assault charges filed against him.

The young woman refused to testify at trial so the charges were ultimately dropped, but Bryant’s image had taken a huge blow.

He was pulled from advertisements and he was heavily bashed by sports analysts and bloggers alike for his role in the adulterous claims made by the young woman. His wife kept a high head during the procedures and still sticks by Kobe Bryant’s side today.

Kobe Bryant’s Feature in Black Ops Commercial

The gaming community accepts violence with a grain of salt, and the more gun-wielding a video game holds is directly correlated to how successful the game will be. Bryant was featured in a Black Ops commercial holding an assault rifle and participating in a desert battle with fellow public figures.

Some people felt like the advertisement was in bad taste for Kobe Bryant, because it was promoting something that parents try to steer their children away from.

Bryant was also criticized by Skip Bayless on ESPN’s First Take because “there are troops overseas at this moment, doing the same thing for real in combat.” Seems a little funny that Skip Bayless, an avid ESPN analyst, had something to say about the commercial, while his supervisors kept the ad in heavy rotation. 

Kobe Bryant’s Homophobic Slurs Towards Referee

This is what has sparked a melee of headlines. Bryant was assessed a foul during last night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and appeared a little more than upset when he headed towards the Lakers bench. He tossed his towel and said a few choice words to the referee before directly calling the official a homophobic slur.

What makes it all that much worse is that his words were caught on camera, due to his overactive temper as he walked off the court.

The comment was in such bad judgment and even though Bryant has apologized for his comments and stated that they were not directed towards the homosexual community, he will have to face NBA’s Commissioner David Stern for probable punishment. Sometimes you just have to know when to shut your mouth.

Check out another article about Kobe Bryant's slurs last night: http://www.iamnba.com/2011/04/will-kobe-bryant-insult-throw-salt-on-sixth-ring/