Check this out.......
Posted on 03/28/2006 6:17:33 AM PST by BlueSky194
Plenty of interesting and shocking words have been spoken in the visitors' locker room at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston during the 2005/06 NBA season, but nothing compares to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant telling a handful of reporters, "I wouldn't mind being Jewish. I wouldn't mind. Really."
Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer at 34.8 points per game, was fielding questions from a television reporter on camera about the dearth of Jewish athletes in professional sports. The basketball star, however, was skeptical.
"Not too many Jews in professional sports? Hmmm," Bryant said. "That sounds kind of weird to me. Who did your research?"
Reeling from Bryant's caustic tone, the TV reporter changed the topic to MVP talk.
A Jewish journalist from The Boston Globe, however, wouldn't let the previous topic slide. "We are very good at squash," she insisted, under the impression that she was helping her people's cause.
"There were three hockey players at my college who were Jewish," she continued.
"How 'bout that? All on one team," Bryant said, excited.
"The Red Sox have four Jews including [general manager] Theo Epstein," another Jewish reporter added.
"What the hell? Who was doing your research," Bryant asked the TV reporter semifacetiously. "Put the camera back on, man. This guy is false man. This guy is lyin'."
Dolph Schayes.
Bryant smiles and adds Dolph's son Danny.
Jon Scheyer, one of Duke University's top basketball recruits for next year.
"You're getting shot down all over the place right now, buddy," Bryant said. "It ain't lookin' too good for you at all."
Sandy Koufax. Hank Greenberg.
"Oh it ain't lookin' too good for you at all," he continued.
Although there are no Jews currently in the NBA, there are 24 in the National Football League, 18 in Major League Baseball and seven in the National Hockey League, according to www.jewsinsports.org.
If Bryant, a Catholic, really wouldn't mind being Jewish, he would become the highest-profile athlete to convert to Judaism. Although many believe that baseball great Rod Carew converted when he married a Jewish woman, he never actually "joined the tribe." He did, however, raise his children Jewish.
But Bryant dispelled the notion of replacing Schayes as the greatest Jewish basketball player of all-time. "I don't know if I'm converting, but if I do, you can definitely add another athlete to the pool," he said.
And if he does, that's one tip-off Bryant won't be too excited about.
Kobe, the Moel is on the way over and the UJA is expect a check. Only one of them takes tips!
Sounds like Kolbe has put a lot of really deep thought into this after years of soul-searching.....
"Not too many Jews in professional sports? Hmmm," Bryant said. "That sounds kind of weird to me. Who did your research?"
Reeling from Bryant's caustic tone, the TV reporter changed the topic to MVP talk.
Reeling? Caustic tone? It doesn't come through in the written word. Bryant seems thoughtful to me. And then, another reporter mentions that Jews are very good at squash "under the impression that she was helping her people's cause".
WTF??
Jerry: Elaine, the guy's Jewish two days, he's already making Jewish jokes.
Elaine: So what? When someone turns twenty-one, they usually get drunk the first night.
Jerry: Booze is not a religion.
Who's the Moel? Edward Scissorhands?..........
Who knew?
Vic Jacobs needs to fess up. He's been proselytizing our boy Ocho, hasn't he?
Check this out.......
You're an Anti-Dentite!
Ha ha!
How pathetic are you if you're asking Kobe Bryant for social commentary?
LOL!
Kobe must've read that leaflet on "famous Jewish sports legends" they hand out on airplanes.
"Not to many Jews in professional sports"?
Who do you think "OWNS" professional sports?
It's lucky Kobe ain't Muslim. Idle talk like that could be dangerous.
Even counting that as a request, he has to ask two more times, so I am thinkig we are safe.
I agree, this turned out to read a little different than I first anticipated.
Why is this question being asked to Kobe Bryant? What prompted it in the first place?
I agree. A really odd question.
hehe thats what i was thinking.
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