Kobe Photo Shoot

There are many ways to get into an opponent's head during a competition. We saw a textbook case of that when Phil Jackson made comments about Kevin Durant and the officials before their opening round series.

Now, Kobe Bryant has taken it to the next level. He has strategically released a series of artsy photos for L.A. Times Magazine. Clad in all white, Kobe models garments ranging from $230-$695, some of which look like they were picked up off of Skid Row.

While some might call the photos "feminine," or even "foofy,"  and ask the question, "why release this now?", I was quickly able to decipher the subliminal, intimidating messages Kobe is sending to the Utah Jazz. So, open up the photos in another browser and let's analyze the pictures one-by-one, from left to right:

    * Photo #1: Kobe dons formal wear (top hat and bow tie) to show the Jazz that he is "all business" when he's on the court. Further, if you look closely you can see a headband under his Worth and Worth Treviso hat, indicating that he plans to build up a sweat while doin' work this series.
    * Photo #2: Kobe stands tall and looks down to accentuate the size advantage the Lakers have over the diminutive Jazz. If the Jazz had overlooked the fact that they were undersized, this photo will quickly remind them.
    * Photo #3: Kobe mocks the traditional headgear worn by elderly Russian women, the babushka, as a direct insult to Russian-born Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko's mother. As we all know, Fesenko plays worse when he is angry. Brilliant tactic by Kobe.
    * Photo #4: Still wearing the babushka, Kobe asks for the close-up and smizes into the camera as if to say, "Do you see how serious I am?" Oh, we all see, Kobe. And so do the Jazz.
    * Photo #5: Kobe wears his beach outfit, a sleeveless jacket with three-quarter length linen pants, in order to emphasize the fact that Utah is land-locked and therefore has no beaches. "After we put you out of the playoffs, you're going to have to come to L.A. to go to the beach this summer." Talk about insult to injury.
    * Photo #6: Kobe is looking off to the side of the camera to indicate how he is "looking past" the Utah Jazz and towards the Western Conference Finals. The subtle off-camera glance is sure to send shivers through the bodies of Deron Williams and co., who will then over-exert themselves to get Kobe's attention.

The consummate competitor, Kobe has once again outdone himself when it comes to intimidation tactics. Did Michael Jordan ever release a series of fashion-forward photos during one of his playoff runs? I think not.