According to Kobe Bryant.
Image by Reed Saxon / AP
Kobe Bryant had to have the last word in his out-of-the-blue personal attack on former teammate Smush Parker, because that's the type of guy Kobe Bryant is. Parker alleged that Kobe was a bad teammate, which is a surprise to no one. What is surprising, though, is that Kobe is perfectly content with being a bad teammate -- in fact, according to Bryant, it's vital to the Lakers that he's a dick to everyone.
On his Facebook account, Kobe posted the following message. We'll go through it, point-by-point.
Leadership is responsibility.
Are YOU willing to do what it takes to push the right buttons to elevate those around you? If the answer is YES, are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain?
Kobe Bryant isn't a villain, he's only perceived as one. Dwight Howard must have given him that idea. Good to see they're meshing so early in the relationship.