NBA Goes Too Far with Latest Kobe Controversy

Who is the most prominent star in the game? If you didn't say Lebron James, then most likely you picked this guy, Kobe Bryant. Kobe has dominated the NBA pretty much since he skipped college and entered the league at age 18. Despite 5 rings on his hand, and challenging for another title this season, Bryant has faced his share of difficulties since joining the league.

We all remember the incident in Colorado that almost cost Kobe his marriage and almost landed him in jail. But he's a super talented and super rich guy, so with a good lawyer, and an expensive gift for his wife, Kobe moved past the rape accusations.

Most would forget his demons, as he brought LA many championships, and a new persona was created for Kobe.
No longer was it cute and young Kobe with a bit of an afro;now there was the mean Kobe Bryant, rocking the snarl across his face.

Which leads us up to the present day, where Kobe continues to establish himself as a brilliant player. The Lakers were backing into the 2 seed of the playoffs when Kobe was engulfed in a new controversy regarding questionable word choice in a heated situation.

If you havent seen it, here is what's causing all the buzz.

Did Kobe make a mistake in using the "other F word"? Yes. But is it a $100,000 mistake? Absolutely not. It is clear the NBA is trying to make an example out of Kobe and show Gay Rights organizations that the NBA is not at all homophobic. But c'mon Mr. Stern and all those who believe that Bryant was being malicious: he was in the heat of the moment. Does he really think that the referee is gay? Of course not. He was mad and that is the word that came out of his mouth.

I truly believe that Kobe was sincere in his apology and don't believe he should've been punished at all. Bryant got unlucky; he got caught on camera. That is a word that is likely often heard on benches across the NBA and other leagues during games. The truth is that these are grown men, and they are involved in a high-intensity sport involving lots of contact and requires high levels of fitness. They do not have the time to think through all their decisions in the spur of the moment. Kobe regrets his decision, and that is that.

Please America, lets not take this out of control and have groups protesting Bryant as a monster and hateful person. He messed up, got unlucky, and apologized. Let's drop it. Rather than fine him $100,000, we should just pretend it never happened. If we all had a camera on us, we would not want to justify every word we chose in the heat of the moment.

And please dont say that $100,000 is nothing to Kobe. Regardless of his financial status, that is a lot of money, and is a beyond ludicrous amount to ask any player to have to pay. The punishment doesn't fit the crime, and this just may make Kobe mad. Good news Lakers fans, opposing teams don't like to see Kobe mad.