Kobe Bryant Divorce: Lakers Fans Shouldn't Worry About Mamba's Private Affairs

Lakers fans, I shouldn't have to tell you this and (hopefully) I don't have to tell you this, but I'll tell you this anyway:

Don't worry about Kobe Bryant's divorce. Don't worry about who, if anyone, the Black Mamba has been fooling around with on the side, whether it be Kim Kardashian's gal pal or some figment of the paparazzi's imagination.

If you have any anxiety about Kobe at all, direct it toward his achy knees, his arthritic fingers, his relationship with new head coach Mike Brown and his ability to hold together a roster that's been through quite a bit of change already and may shift even more dramatically in the weeks and months to come.

As far as anyone knows, his situation with Vanessa is already settled. They've filed the proper papers, come to terms on all the major issues (financials included) and will be officially "ex" after the mandatory six-month "cooling off" period comes to a close.

This isn't the 2003-04 season, when Kobe had to shuttle between Colorado and the basketball court to deal with his sexual assault case. Of course, Mamba posted some excellent performances that season, even (and perhaps especially) on those days when he was busy jet-setting around the country to handle his legal woes.

What's more, Kobe won't have to concern himself with Shaquille O'Neal's massive head and whether he'll have to butt it with his own.

Instead, Bryant will have the privilege of spending his time and energy berating Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum for being soft and stupid (respectively), giving Metta World Peace a chance, dominating the ball while Derek Fisher works himself back into playing shape (thanks, lockout!) and adjusting from a coach who knew so perfectly how to handle egos (Phil Jackson) to one whose downfall at his previous gig was due, at least in part, to his inability to do just that.

And that makes no mention of Kobe's own game, which will require even more tinkering so he can remain relevant even as his body begins to show signs of wear and tear, a la Michael Jordan in the late 1990s.

So, Lakers fans, forget about Kobe's private life because, frankly, Kobe just might forget about it too, with all the tough pills he has left to swallow on his overloaded plate.

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