When Superstar Treatment Ruins an Outcome

  We don't like Kobe much in our house. To my kids, he's the guy that broke Ricky's knee. So when Kobe fouled Ricky but the refs didn't call on a potentially game-tying 3ball last night when the Lakers came to town, much booing ensued as the Lakers won 120-117.
  The whole damn season's been a prolonged gut punch, but this one especially took the air out. You know, with the Lakers having beat us the last 200 times. And Kobe being the hero even though he didn't deserve to be. Remember how the officials blew the call by not calling Bryant for a charge against Rubio on the knee injury play last year bout this time? And then Kobe saying: "That's not a foul. They ain't calling that shit. I don't think I got him."
  Replays clearly show Kobe did smack Ricky. The NBA would be 200 times better if refs would just have the guts to make the right call. Like on traveling. Or intentional fouls. Or Ts. On when giving a veteran star a free pass.
  And then Kobe's cocky response after a reporter asked him what would've gotten the call, hit the FTs, and forced OT? "We would have gone into overtime and won the game. It's as simple as that."
  I think I just found a way to like Kobe even less.