NBC Questions Kobe Bryant's Pride of Being on Team USA


**Video Below the Fold**

In a recent interview with USA Olympics basketball team member Kobe Bryant, NBC Sports reporter Chris Collinsworth seemed to question Kobe's patriotism when the player said that he was proud to wear the team USA uniform. Wondering if it was "cool" to be proud of being on Team USA, Collinsworth seemed to surprise even Bryant with the temerity of the question. Why Collinsworth wouldn't think it would be "cool" to be proud of being on the American Olympic basketball team is anyone's guess.

In a portion of the interview, Kobe began to say how thrilled he was to get his Team USA uniform and that he "just stared at it" for a while in awe. Collinsworth followed that heartwarming display of patriotism with a jaw dropping series of questions. Worse, he asked these questions with an absurd smirk stealing across his face, seeming to think that he was about to join Kobe in cynicism over the evil America with his doubting Thomas questions.

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

Transcript:

Collinsworth: Where does the patriotism come from inside of you? Historically, what is it?

Kobe: Well, you know it’s just our country, it’s… we believe is the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it’s just a sense of pride that you have; that you say ‘You know what? Our country is the best!’

Collinsworth: Is that a ‘cool’ thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by.

Kobe: No, it’s a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor.

Apparently Collinsworth was shocked that a black man could be at all patriotic and proud of being a representative of his country. But the real question here isn't if Kobe is proud to wear the Team USA uniform, but why Chris Collinsowrth so automatically thought it wasn't "cool" to be proud of being an American "in this day and age"?

I mean, what the heck was this "historically, what is it" question? Is Collinsworth saying that it is impossible for a black man to be patriotic? Apparently so.

Maybe Chris Collinsworth has delusions of being the next failed sports dude turned Keith Olbermann over at NBC?

All I can say is, "way to go Kobe!"


Or, if the movie won't play, click from Ms. Undersetimated to download .wmv file.

(Photo credit: Brekken/ AP, H/T Jamie and msunderestimated.com)


Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

CHRIS IS A GOOD GUY

I saw the interview and I took his question/comment as a prod to Kobe to answer in the manner he did.

Chris is a good Ohio guy and a fixture in Cincinnati. No way is he part of the NBC fever swamp that passes for a news department.

Sure didn't appear that way

Sure didn't appear that way in the interview I saw! Collinsworth looked like a smirking, anti-American, creep to me.

It appeared to me that

It appeared to me that Collingworth was playing Devil's Advocate, giving Bryant some puffball questions, so that the new ethic of the American basketball team could be presented.

His "smirk" was evidence that he knew and agreed with the answers, and was enjoying himself.

It's the NBC way.. not Chris' way

Chris may be a Republican, but he's parroting NBC scripted anti-American questions. So sorry for him.

 "Capitalism is the unequal distribution of wealth; communism is the equal distribution of poverty." - Richard Tamarisk

Wow!

Someone with Bengal blinkers. I didn't think such a thing existed.

Are you still mad at Carson Palmer because he is not a Buckeyes fan? 

Funny thing...

Here's a funny thing, too. I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio!!!

I know Collinsworth and am from Cincy...

Chris is a good republican - He was being facetious and mocking the current media culture. I saw the interview and it never crossed my mind that it was anything else since I know his background.

Doh!

why Chris Collinsowrth so automatically thought it wasn't "cool" to be proud of being an American "in this day and age"?

I think this is clearly a reaction to Obama saying he is a 'citizen of the world'. Obama clearly feels being patriotic is passe, Collinsworth is taken with Obama and his image, and Collinsworths thinks we should all (especially blacks) jump on board. He is baffled by Bryant's free thinking.

D

Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.

Collinsworth is a pseudointellectual

Anyone who had has seen his swarmy, cleverer-than-thou act on NBC and the NFL Network must have a certain level of contempt for this man.  Most football fans I know change the channel when he starts his analysis.

Kobe

My husband read somewhere awhile ago that Collinsworth is a conservative and that he despises Olbermann, so he doubts that Chris was trying to get Kobe to say anything bad about our country.

I was surprised by that comment too.

I think Collingsworth has been hanging around Keith Olbermann too much during Monday night football broadcasts.

In general the entire MSM is surprised that American athletes are still proud of their country and that most other countries still respect America.

Americans still feel pride in their country DESPITE all the negative reporting the MSM been doing the past 8 years????"

If NBC was smart, they might take a lesson from what they're seeing at the Olympic. Maybe they could start supporting America rather than always trying tear it down.

Shame on Chris and Warner

It was really silly for Chris to question whether it was cool or not to be proud of America.  But it was also silly for Warner to bring in some racist angle into this story.

"Apparently Collinsworth was shocked that a black man could be at all patriotic and proud of being a representative of his country."

What???

"Is Collinsworth saying that it is impossible for a black man to be patriotic? Apparently so."

Huh???

Come on Warner.  Playing the race card is something that Barack Obama and Keith Olbermann do.  NewsBusters should be above that.

racism

Sometimes a black man might have a different perspective. I see so no racism from Warner

Real life video games are cool

I'm not even sure he meant

I'm not even sure he meant as a black man. I think he might have just meant that patriotism isn't fashionable right now...unless it's the "I love my country enough to point out its (imagined) faults" type.

Kobe Appreciates The USA

 Hopefully, Kobe will get credit for it instead of being chastised.

 

 George W. Bush:  Keeping you safe, like it or not.

Kobe is a notoriously

Kobe is a notoriously selfish player. Maybe Chris was just trying to bait him. Controversy sells ya know? He has done the same thing on football broadcasts for years.

I'm glad Kobe answered the way he did.  He just gained a little respect from me. He's still a selfish player but at least he plays hard and wants to win. Unlike the "A.I. idiots" (the 2004 Olympic basketball team). I actually rooted against them.

The 2004 BBall team was

The 2004 BBall team was composed of men who refused to cower in the USA even under the terror threats that Greece was receiving.  Bigger stars stayed home and hid behind their mommas' skirts.  This was especially galling since men their age were in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Kobe was on trial at the time and couldn't leave the country.)

Iverson and his teammates showed courage, class and heart that year (they earned the bronze).  At least one of their fellow Americans remembers and appreciated their display of character, even if that one person is not you. 

Kobe is following their lead.

Were there 2 sets of Olympics in 2004?

Because I was apparently watching a different basketball team.

<insert witty signature here>

Apparently you were. 

Apparently you were.  There was no misbehaving and they even though they struggled, they won the bronze under Iverson's effective on-court leadership. (Yes, I was surprised.)  Guys like Shaq were afraid of terrorist threats and backed out of their committment to be on that team, but guys like Iverson didn't.  Yet the latter are the ones who received the public criticism rather than the former--from people like yourself no doubt.

Go figure.

You mean the team that got

You mean the team that got outplayed by Puerto Rico, Lithuania, and Argentina?  When the ball wasn't in their hands they were sleep walking. They weren't following up shots. They weren't rebounding. They weren't hustling. They weren't focused. They thought they were going to just show up and win. These guys were supposed to be professional basketball players. They got schooled.

http://www.youtube.c...

http://www.youtube.c...

The only reason they won the Bronze medal at all was because they had a fire lit under them. They beat Lithuania a week after they got beat by them.

And please don't give me that stuff about how Shaq and others stayed home because they were scared. That doesn't explain away their attitude. Like the punch in the face from #5(Marbury)@ 5:23 in the first video. He missed the ball by a foot and a half.

By the way, I was overzealous with the idiot tag from my last post. I shouldn't have put it that way. I'm sorry. I just get a little fired up when I see a team with that much talent look that bad.

Now having said all that, I will say that the 2008 Olympic Team has the right attitude. They are humble, professional and they know that the game isn't all about them. Kobe and Lebron even showed up at the last swim race to cheer on the American team.

 

 

I guess with Collinsworth

I guess with Collinsworth questioning, Collinsworth
was waiting for Kobe to break out into a song and dance about
oppression, the "man", and Obama (eventually).

Sorry to disappoint you Mr. Collinsworth but yes a lot of us blacks still love our country, still believe its the greatest place on earth, and will still defend her honor.  

But with that said I read the beginning posts and most people seem surprised by Collinsworth's comments so I will give him the benefit of a doubt and say maybe Collinsworth was intentionally leading Kobe with these questions to prove that African Americans are just as patriotic as anyone else.   

"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."

Kobe

Turns out Collinsworth gave $5,000 to the Kentucky Republican party in 2004.  He also gave contributions to Kentucky Republicans Rob Portman and Jim Bunning.

Unless he's picked up Olbermann's mental disease since then, I don't think he wanted Kobe to say anything bad about the USA.

Well,

This makes it even worse. If he was trying to bait Kobe and get Kobe to go all hatin' on America, then Collinsworth would have been aiding THAT idea to get full play. And, is baiting good in this case anyway? Did he want controversy at a time when most people want patriotism?

No matter if Collinworth is a supporter of Republicans or not, he should be called on the carpet for this one. He made himself look like an ass.

Have you considered...

Have you considered that maybe Chris and Kobe talked before hand and Chris knew exactly how Kobe was going to react to that line of questioning? I thought it made Kobe look very good. Also, I've spent two decades in the television business and it is common for the person being interviewed to know the line of questioning that will be coming from the interviewer (particularly in sports where I work).

I agree with you, Warner

I don't think it was Chris' desire to ask the question, rather it was NBC's insistence on his skewering the question in the way he did. Remember, GE is NBC's parent company, and they are still doing business with "MadMan InADinnerJacket" in Iran.

Oympics

Several Olypians from all over the world speak daily about the pride they feel representing their individual countries. Are American athletes expected to represent some World Country? Seems as though some think they should. I am proud of our athletes and I'm proud and often awed by the athletes representing other countries. 

Let's look at this a little differently.

Let's assume, for a minute, that Chris Collingsworth is a Conservative, why not question Kobe Bryant, in such a way, as to find out if he's just saying things or he really believes it.  Let's face it, regardless of how the questioning went, Kobe Bryant looks much better for being able to answer, in the manner he did, than if Chris Collingsworth just let it hang in the air. 

Also, it does tell you something about where he's come from.  Perhaps, and I'm just guessing, Chris has been exposed to athletes that aren't patriotic so hearing this, from Kobe, sort of took him aback. 

There's probably more to this than a 60 second sound-bite and I'm not even from Ohio.  

Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.

Kobe

I agree.  I thinks it's possible that he wanted Kobe to say what he did.  Maybe he knew how passionate Kobe was for his country and he thought it would make for good TV to get him to express it.  I don't know, maybe I'm just naive but I just want to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

PLEASE LISTEN....

Collinsworth is a CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN. He was trying to make light of the current media environment (Olberman, etc.). I know Chris personally. He would be sickened to know some people think this of him.

Warner, you're way off base on this one bud. Still, you've got a good track record so I'll give you a pass :).

Is it possible

...that Collinsworth's line of questioning had something to do with Kobe being accused of butt-porking a young lady at the hotel in Colorado or makin' bacon with a Lakers cheerleader earlier this year? there may be a method to Chris Collinsworth's madness! (I still say Steve Watson was a better receiver) 

I saw the broadcast too. 

I saw the broadcast too.  My initial response was that if Obama had answered the 7 year old's question half as well, he wouldn't have caught all the flack that he did.  Kobe came across as a patriot who was proud to be playing for his country.

"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"

Chewi' gum?

Did you see KB during the Anthem of one of the NBA playoffs, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and chewing gum?Like to have thrown a rock at the tube-and him being the mvp? Hah! That award belonged to #5 if not the team.

And where is the Green represented on the USA? I saw where Ray Allen was at Uconn with his former coach, who is suffering through radiation this summer. 

I refuse to watch. See where the lat dissed Phelps and put him at #6 on a list of greatest olympians? Surprised even an American made the top 5-Carl Lewis. What a bunch of commie lovers, nbc included. 

I'm willing to give Collinsworth a pass on this one

He has been far superior to Bob Costas.

I haven't watched much of the interviews and personal stories segments (thank you TiVo), so I didn't get to see this live and watching it now has been tainted by the debate here and by Todd's initial comments.

<insert witty signature here>

Is it "cool" in this day

Is it "cool" in this day and age to be a sissy, American-bashing liberal posing as sports reporter?

If you're Chris Collinsworth, Yeah.

Note to Chris:

You're not qualified to even cover the Olympics. The athletes in the Special Olympics get it - why can't you?

Pride in competing in the games for your country - passe? I can't comprehend what it is about your consciousness as an American that you don't understand what an honor it is to represent your country and battle against the best of the best.

www.ArmchairEnergist...

Kobe's Face

I don't know if Collinsworth is liberal or conservative.  If the former, then Kobe certainly shut him down.  If the latter, then he did a good job of drawing Kobe out.  I played it several times,  just  to watch Kobe's face.

When he is talking about the honor of wearing the USA team uniform, you can see in his eyes that he truly feels what he is saying.  When asked where the patriotism comes from, historically, his demeanor does a shift and becomes more serious describing our country as "the greatest country in the world" that has "given us so many great opportunities."  Then, after Collinsworth questions if it is cool to be patriotic, his face gets really serious and the eyes get glinty as if he is getting angry at the absurdity of the question.  Whether Collinsworth meant it to be or not, it is an inspiring video.

 

"The future is not set.  There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

michaelyon-online.com

NBC Questions Kobe Bryant's Pride of Being on Team USA

Maybe Collinsworth is after Olbermann's job?

I didn't see it

But when it comes to Chris Collinsworth, I have a hard time taking him too seriously. Remember, this guy's skin was so thin that he basically let Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long run him off the Fox NFL Sunday show a few years ago.

As for his questioning, I could see the initial question but the follow up was where the problem began. From the transcript it seems like he was baiting Kobe to make some type of statement that could be construed as unpatriotic. If that was where he was going, it wouldn't be a surprise...it is NBC afterall!

And for the people taking shots at the 2004 team, like it was said before the players that were on that team deserve to be praised for showing up; they answered the call from USA Basketball, and went to Greece in the face of a lot of anti-American sentiment and in the teeth of terrorist violence in Greece at the time. Many of the biggest names that were invited refused to go out of fear for their personal safety, but guys like Lamar Odom, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony went proudly to represent the USA. Too bad so many fans and media back home seemed to take so much joy in their taking the bronze, and it is a shame that these guys are talked about as failures instead of being celebrated for taking the risk and accepting the challenge to play in Athens.

The Collinsworth-Bryant Interview

Nope.  Not buying it.  Collinsworth is a skeez - not to mention incredibly tactless and professionally stupid.

After reading the numerous replies from people here, some of whom personally know Collinsworth, from what I saw, Collinsworth was NOT prodding to get a certain response from Bryant, Collinsworth was quite believable in his role as an "America-hater" when he posed the distateful questions to Bryant.

I blogged about this despicable display by Collinsworth immediately after seeing this interview, enraged that Collinsworth could be so blatantly UNpatriotic and smarmy about his own country as he attempted to get (the utterly shocked) Bryant to go along with the "uncool to be American" spiel; especially enraged that this was a world-wide broadcast and NBC had chosen an America-hating commentator to show the world most Americans DO hate their country and are embarrassed by its policies.  Bryant wouldn't take the bait.

IF Collinsworth's intention had been to shine a positive light on Bryant's pride in being an American, I'm certain a MUCH better approach could have been taken.  I dunno, something along the lines of AGREEING with Bryant instead of patronizing him for his prideful American view. I strongly believe an on-air apology from Collinsworth is certainly due Bryant AND the American viewing audience.

Missed the point

"Apparently Collinsworth was shocked that a black man could be at all patriotic and proud of being a representative of his country."

Um, no. 

I understood what Collinsworth was asking. The NBA, basketball, in America, has been a hip-hop culture, where patriotism is not the most important thing. The most important thing is getting famous and getting paid. It's a surly attitude that has pervaded the league. At last year's Olympics, the feeling was that the NBA players didn't really care if they won or not, because, hey, they're still getting paid and it's just the Olympics. 

This group, with the leadership of Coach K, has worked hard to reverse that attitude, to better represent the USA, in everything they've done at these Olympics. It hasn't been about them, it's been about all of the US athletes. So Collinsworth asks this question so that Kobe can answer in positively to help further this idea of a new, better, Redeem Team.

 

And...

The NBA, basketball, in America, has been a hip-hop culture, where patriotism is not the most important thing. The most important thing is getting famous and getting paid. It's a surly attitude that has pervaded the league.

Hence why Collinsworth was acting surprised that a black man could be patriotic!

If he acted surprised, then

If he acted surprised, then it was pure acting, just to show that he was not a pushover interviewer.

In defense of the NBA and the '04 team

In regard to the NBA, this is a job man, and it has nothing to do with patriotism. Hip-hop culture or not, no one on the Lakers is thinking about the honor of the nation in March when they're about to play a game in Memphis! It's just like any other job, in that performing it has nothing to do with patriotism, and it is unfair to link the influence of hip hop in the NBA to any percieved lack of patriotism. Professional sports has never been a patriotic exercise, and it is unfair to impute a lack of patriotism to guys because they aren't waving the flag at work.

As for the '04 team, the attitude that you sensed was more of a media creation than anything else. It was the media that expected the US to simply step on the court and win a gold medal, and when they didn't do it they were thrown under the bus. If you took into account the totality of the circumstances, it was quite an accomplishment for the team to even get the bronze medal. The team was put together about 20 days, yes 20 days, before the games were scheduled to begin! And if you look at the makeup of the team, there were only a couple of players on the team that went to Athens who played on the USA team in the Tournament of the Americas qualifying tournament. Players like Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, and Jason Kidd declined invitations to play on the team in Athens, so the players who showed up were the guys who wanted to be there.

And you will never be able to convince me that Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Shawn Marion, or Richard Jefferson didn't care if they won or not, because for many of them this was their one and only shot to play in the Olympics. Do you really belueve that Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor, or Amare Stoudemire were more concerned about their paychecks than winning the Games? Knowing that they may never get another opportunity? That attitudes was created by a sports media that wanted that to be the story, and who attacked the players who ventured into Athens in the face of terrorist threats and activites, who had been together for 20 days in advance of the Games, and who still played about as well as could be expected against teams that had been together for decades in some cases.

Somehow the constant harping about the '04 team just doesn't seem fair to me, especially considering the fact that these were the very guys who wanted to play in the Games!

My comments were more about

My comments were more about the NBA in general as opposed to the '04 team. Kobe and those guys didn't play because it wasn't important. No, you don't expect those guys to wave a flag at work, I'd expect them to win.

And if you ask Iverson what his greatest regret is so far in his career, I doubt it's that he didn't win a gold medal. Although he's hugely competitive, I'd imagine an NBA championship matters more to him.

You are correct in describing some of the reasons why they didn't win, IMO. USA Basketball has been slow to realize what wins in international basketball.

I know nothing about

I know nothing about Collinsworth and he might be a fine chap; however, in this instance I think the his question about it "being cool" was completely moronic.