Media Amplifies Kobe "Benching"

I would like for it to be realized that Kobe Bryant was not "benched" on Sunday night versus the Grizzlies.

With about 5 minutes to go and the Grizzlies down 14, and with Andrew Bynum having a great game (he finished 11-16 with 30 points), Mike Brown subbed out Bryant for Metta World Peace.

He sat for about a two minutes, while the Lakers went on a nice run to get them back in the game. With a little over three minutes left, Brown called for Bryant to sub back into the game.

With the next dead ball deemed a tv timeout, Bryant was sure to be in the game soon. But there was no dead ball, as the game flowed and the two teams went back and forth missing and making shots without any fouls or violations called by the refs.

So by the time Kobe got in the game, there was only 1:51 left, and while the Laker team that was on the floor had initially reduced the lead by like 6 points, they then gave it back up right before Kobe was able to get in the game.

So when he got in the game it was basically over.

The next day, everyone is saying that Kobe was benched.

?! Doesn't really follow if you watched the game. But, of course, that is the job of the media, to hype things up and create drama, especially in Los Angeles, right down the way from Hollywood.

The reporters trying to get a story from Kobe reminded me a lot of the New York Mets book, and Kobe was very good about not giving them the story; refraining from that juicy, emotion-filled quote that would turn the Lakers upside down.

The reporters were doing their job though, and asked some good questions to try and get juicy answers out of Kobe and coach Brown.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/03/26/la-story-brown-benches-bryant/