Kobe Bryant Divorce: Lakers Star's Rebuilt Image Will Come Crashing Down Again

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa has filed for divorce after more than 10 years of marriage, and this latest incident will destroy Bryant's image that he has rebuilt well since he was charged with sexual assault in 2003.

Via TMZ:

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Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... Vanessa—who stuck by Kobe after he was charged with sexually assaulting a Colorado woman in 2003—decided to end the marriage because she believes Kobe has been unfaithful ... again.

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After the Colorado incident, Kobe was able to rebuild himself back into one of the most marketable brands in sports. Bryant isn't just an American star, he is a basketball icon internationally.

This latest off the court trouble will tear down his image and Bryant will never be able to recover.

Many thought after the Lakers star admitted he cheated on his wife back in 2003 that his image would never recover, but despite losing fans and sponsorships, he was able to become a marketing star again.

All through basketball season we see him in commercials for various products, but you can bet the number of those will decrease significantly in the coming weeks.

If it's true that he has been unfaithful to his wife again, Bryant will suffer big time regarding endorsements. He will also suffer financially because his marriage does not include a pre-nup, so his wife is entitled to half of his wealth.

Tiger Woods lost many sponsorships following the news he cheated on his wife many times, and the golf star has still yet to recover both off and on the links.

Woods was seen as a great role model and a quality family man, but his actions destroyed his reputation to the point that many people will never respect him again.

Basketball fans have seen Miami Heat star LeBron James' image take a hit after his disrespectful exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer, but Bryant's issue is much more severe.

James had every right to leave the Cavaliers because he was a free agent, he did not do anything evil or immoral.

Bryant has proven to be immature several times during his NBA career and with his marriage crumbling there is no way for him to recover.

I have one demand for everyone out there, don't let Kobe win you over, again. He has proven incapable of being a role model for children everywhere.

The NBA's best player has taken a PR hit he won't recover from, and he has no one to blame but himself.

The league must begin to really market young stars who represent everything good about the sport of basketball, like Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant, who is a perfect role model for everyone.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter.

Follow @NicholasGoss35