Posted:
#1
It’s about time Spike Lee did the right thing by NBA fans and stopped passing off shameless infomercials as high art.
“Kobe Doin’ Work” had about as much artistic appeal as a Nike commercial, though, by comparison, Lee’s classic spots for the shoe titan anchored by Michael Jordan packed more entertainment in 90 seconds than “Kobe” could manage in 90 painstaking minutes.
On the off chance that you missed this blockbuster last weekend, here are a couple of thoughts. First, congratulate yourself for having something better to do, and second, make sure you do the same when the re-run marathon starts in full force.
For those of us who were less fortunate, make a concerted effort to stop the head scratching because it might leave a rash. But re-living a scene or two late at night might put that case of insomnia to permanent rest.
Now that his days of taunting Reggie Miller and hugging Patrick Ewing are over, Lee has taken his quest for relevancy in the NBA to uncharted depths. If he sinks any lower, he’ll need a high chair to watch the Lakers from his court-side seat.
Kobe Bryant is without question one of the most dynamic and polarizing figures the NBA, and perhaps all of professional sports, has seen in quite some time. Lee’s “documentary” makes an earnest effort to dispel this notion.
With ESPN’s cameras in tow and its precious air time serving as the media railroad for this train wreck, viewers of “Kobe” essentially were treated to a big-screen version of “Kobe miked up.”
Among the highlights: We see Kobe Bryant make a few jumpers. He also missed a few. We see him encourage his teammates. He also barked at them a couple of times. We see him make small talk with a couple of opponents. He also uses dialogue that borders on polite trash talk. We see him debate the merits of a goaltending call. He also disputes a foul call.
Last night, we called this an NBA playoff game (the Lakers won 105-103 over the Denver Nuggets), but with lots of hype and plenty of introspective commentary and manufactured self-importance from Spike Lee, ESPN called it a feature film.
Really, couldn’t Spike have just saved us all the trouble and just given Kobe a big, warm man hug to show his appreciation? Watching Bryant’s every move in a regular-season game against the San Antonio Spurs, full audio and all, tells us a little something about the NBA superstar.
He plays basketball. Very well. His teammates listen to him, his opponents respect him, and fans show up to watch him. Lee and ESPN make a half-hearted effort to disguise this information in visual form as something we didn’t already know.
What a shame, because they had the idea half-right. A true documentary on Kobe Bryant is something I’d pay to see if Lee or another filmmaker had the proper ambition, access and savvy to pull it off.
Forget the jumpers and pep talks. Let’s take an inside look at this iconic and sometimes controversial sports figure. How about the first conversation he had with his wife after the Colorado rape charges were announced? Now THAT’S a conversation I want to see. Short of something that dramatic, how about some perspective on how their relationship has survived this turmoil?
How about his first conversation with Phil Jackson when the Zen master was re-hired as the Lakers head coach? Or a no-holds-barred response to Shaq’s suggestion in a “rap” that Kobe sample a bit of the Big Buffoon’s back side?
In other words, how about anything other than the corporate logo-encrusted garbage that Lee and ESPN threw at us under the guise of wholesome entertainment?
“Kobe Doin’ Work” could have been worthwhile, had only the architects been willing to do some work of their own. But it’s probably safe to say that Lee’s court-side season ticket will be renewed next year.
“Kobe Doin’ Work” had about as much artistic appeal as a Nike commercial, though, by comparison, Lee’s classic spots for the shoe titan anchored by Michael Jordan packed more entertainment in 90 seconds than “Kobe” could manage in 90 painstaking minutes.
On the off chance that you missed this blockbuster last weekend, here are a couple of thoughts. First, congratulate yourself for having something better to do, and second, make sure you do the same when the re-run marathon starts in full force.
For those of us who were less fortunate, make a concerted effort to stop the head scratching because it might leave a rash. But re-living a scene or two late at night might put that case of insomnia to permanent rest.
Now that his days of taunting Reggie Miller and hugging Patrick Ewing are over, Lee has taken his quest for relevancy in the NBA to uncharted depths. If he sinks any lower, he’ll need a high chair to watch the Lakers from his court-side seat.
Kobe Bryant is without question one of the most dynamic and polarizing figures the NBA, and perhaps all of professional sports, has seen in quite some time. Lee’s “documentary” makes an earnest effort to dispel this notion.
With ESPN’s cameras in tow and its precious air time serving as the media railroad for this train wreck, viewers of “Kobe” essentially were treated to a big-screen version of “Kobe miked up.”
Among the highlights: We see Kobe Bryant make a few jumpers. He also missed a few. We see him encourage his teammates. He also barked at them a couple of times. We see him make small talk with a couple of opponents. He also uses dialogue that borders on polite trash talk. We see him debate the merits of a goaltending call. He also disputes a foul call.
Last night, we called this an NBA playoff game (the Lakers won 105-103 over the Denver Nuggets), but with lots of hype and plenty of introspective commentary and manufactured self-importance from Spike Lee, ESPN called it a feature film.
Really, couldn’t Spike have just saved us all the trouble and just given Kobe a big, warm man hug to show his appreciation? Watching Bryant’s every move in a regular-season game against the San Antonio Spurs, full audio and all, tells us a little something about the NBA superstar.
He plays basketball. Very well. His teammates listen to him, his opponents respect him, and fans show up to watch him. Lee and ESPN make a half-hearted effort to disguise this information in visual form as something we didn’t already know.
What a shame, because they had the idea half-right. A true documentary on Kobe Bryant is something I’d pay to see if Lee or another filmmaker had the proper ambition, access and savvy to pull it off.
Forget the jumpers and pep talks. Let’s take an inside look at this iconic and sometimes controversial sports figure. How about the first conversation he had with his wife after the Colorado rape charges were announced? Now THAT’S a conversation I want to see. Short of something that dramatic, how about some perspective on how their relationship has survived this turmoil?
How about his first conversation with Phil Jackson when the Zen master was re-hired as the Lakers head coach? Or a no-holds-barred response to Shaq’s suggestion in a “rap” that Kobe sample a bit of the Big Buffoon’s back side?
In other words, how about anything other than the corporate logo-encrusted garbage that Lee and ESPN threw at us under the guise of wholesome entertainment?
“Kobe Doin’ Work” could have been worthwhile, had only the architects been willing to do some work of their own. But it’s probably safe to say that Lee’s court-side season ticket will be renewed next year.
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