The Kobe Bryant who responded Thursday to NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown's criticism doesn't sound like the Kobe Bryant that Brown accused of being confused about American culture.
The veteran Los Angeles Lakers guard took a diplomatic approach in his rebuttal of Brown's comments on the Arsenio Hall Show, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Brown first said that Bryant "threw Shaq (former Lakers teammate O'Neal) under the bus and he is somewhat confused about culture because he was brought up in another country. (Bryant) doesn't quite fit what's happening in America.
"In the days when we had a summit and we called the top black athletes together to talk to Muhammad Ali about his status with the armed forces, there were some athletes we didn't call," said Brown. "If I had to call that summit all over, there would be some athletes I wouldn't call. Kobe would be one of them."
Bryant's comments didn't make him sound angry or upset. He crafted a well-thought-out response.
"It surprised me in the sense that it just came out of left field. I've never even met him," Bryant said of Brown. "I do think it's a great opportunity to have these conversations, to have this discussion."
Bryant, who grew up in Italy, also tweeted a response to Brown earlier in the day.
"A 'Global' African American is an inferior shade to 'American' African Americans?? #hmm.. that doesn't sound very #Mandela or #DrKing sir"
Bryant said he felt he had to respond publicly because he thought Brown's comments bordered on racial inequality when Brown said Bryant would not be among the black athletes he would invite to have a summit (presumably of American black athletes) - like the one he called in 1967 with Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor, who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Bryant also had the wherewithal to say that, no, he didn't want to speak to Brown about the matter.
"There's nothing to talk about. We have different perception, different views on it, clearly," Bryant said. "What I'm trying to do is educate our youth going forward, no matter what color skin you are, African American, white, whatever the case may be.
"For he and I, there's no reason for us to have a conversation. We're completely on the opposite sides of the spectrum. I'm an old dog, but he's a much older dog. He's probably a lot more set in his ways than I am."
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