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Conor Kelly

Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin

Writing & Rhetoric 13300

27 September 2011

Kings of the HillKobe vs. LeBron, The Media Debate

A debate that sparks conversation arises every November like clockwork

when the NBA basketball season kicks off and the conversations by television analysts and

sports enthusiasts turn to who is the better player, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. LeBron James

is 68, 250 lbs. of basketball talent, an impressive physical specimen to say the least. He is as

tall as a football offensive lineman, but gets up and down the court like a gazelle and soars

through the air like an acrobat. The high school phenom from Akron, Ohio went straight to the

NBA at the age of eighteen, but needed a few years to develop as a player before he took his seat

at the table with the NBAs best. From 2003, when he entered the league, until today, all he has

done is set records, fill the stands with Ohhhs and Ahhhs, and become an international

brand. Bryants resume is equally as impressive. But, unlike James who uses his size and

strength to wear down opponents, Bryant relies on his quickness and basketball IQ. Measuring

66 and a slightly more slender 205 lbs., Bryant came into the league in 1996, straight out of

high school in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Like James, he took a few years to mature both on and

off the court, but, since that time, he has come to dominate the game of basketball. Over his

fifteen-year career, he has garnered thirteen NBA all-star game appearances and earned two

NBA scoring championships. He is also a two-time league Most Valuable Player recipient and a

winner of five NBA championships with his team, the Los Angeles Lakers. In his eight-year

tenure as a professional basketball player, James won the MVP award twice, but has never won

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the scoring title or an NBA championship. While there are endless basketball statistics that

supporters of James and Bryant can use to suggest that that their player is better than the other,

the on-court data comparisons cover just sixty-minutes per game for an eighty-two game season.

The stats do not convey the whole story and, as fans of the game, we want to know more

(Wikipedia-James) (Wikipedia-Bryant).

With the explosive development of user-friendly technology and search engines,

people who want to learn more about a player, rarely read a book about them. Instead, they turn

to the Internet. Players oblige by creating a digital presence. There, it is not just the content of

what is on the digital pages that matters. We can learn a lot about the players by how they

choose to digitally present their stories. To analyze the way that James and Bryant present

themselves in cyberspace, I decided to take a look at their respective websites. While both

players showcase their basketball careers to some extent, James website is designed to appeal to

a younger audience. Bryants more professional and sophisticated design, on the other hand,

seems to target an older audience. Because of some off-court miscues, James and Bryant also

use the digital space to attempt to reshape their image in the public eye in the face of controversy

in a way that would suggest that they are good guys to both fans of the game as well as casual

web-surfers.

One way that James attempts to convey his digital identity is through the color

scheme of his website. His website incorporates the use of black and white with a subtle use of

red and orange in the menu bars. The main focus, however, is the white that takes over the

largest portion of the page. No matter what sub-area or link connected to James homepage, the

background is white. The white website directly accesses the viewers subconscious beliefs that

white is clean, simple, and fresh. Rather than overwhelming the viewer with perhaps his favorite

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colors or the colors of his professional basketball team, James chooses to go with a sleek design

that remains simple, yet attractive. This design choice could be because of what happened

during the summer of 2010. At that time, James made his now infamous decision to take his

basketball talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. In doing so, he left the Cleveland

Cavaliers, the organization that drafted him and the city that embraced him as a hometown hero.

The lure was money, lots of it. But, he also expected that he would have a greater chance of

winning an NBA championship with the talent being amassed by the Heat. While free agent

signings occur every offseason and a player deciding to go with a different team is fairly routine,

there was quite a bit of hype surrounding whether or not James would stay with the Cavaliers.

His rock star status, in Cleveland and around the league, was up for grabs. While many were not

surprised by his decision to leave, he upset many fans, especially those in Cleveland with how he

went about announcing his decision. James dedicated an hour-long live television program on

ESPN entitled The Decision. At the end of the show, he made the announcement that he was

going to Miami. While proceeds from the broadcast went to the Boys and Girls Club of

America, he was heavily criticized for creating a grandiose, self-promoting spectacle. His

critics, of which there were many, felt it was unnecessary to devote a one-hour television

program to himself and then wave his choice in the faces of his former fans by throwing a

celebration party that received more publicity than the Kentucky Derby. Quickly, those who

cheered him on or at least enjoyed watching him play now saw him in a negative light. Many

basketball fans viewed him as an over-the-top show-off and egotist. In order to clean up his

image, James uses a modest color scheme on his website. Instead of an obnoxious or over top

design, he keeps it simple with white and black. As John Suler put it in his article entitled,

Identity Management Online, Whether we view something about ourselves as positive or

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negative can become a complex issue. Sometimes we have mixed feelings. We are ambivalent.

The various environments and styles of communication on the internet serve as a flexible testing

ground for exploring those intertwining pluses and minuses. (Suler) The viewer of Jamess

website is supposed to draw a positive connotation from the clean design of it and then relate that

to a cleaner image of James himself.

Bryant also experienced a major setback in his career when, in 2003, a hotel

employee in Colorado accused him of rape. Prior to this incident, Bryant had a squeaky clean

public persona. He seemed to be well-liked both on and off the court. While first denying

involvement, he later publicly admitted to adultery, but not to rape. As a result of the publicity

surrounding the trial, he lost several corporate sponsors, including Nike, Spalding, and Coca-

Cola. His reputation as a stand-up guy came under attack. People began to question out loud

what type of person Bryant really was and rumors spread. The case dragged on for over eight

months and it turned out that the woman lacked sufficient evidence to prove her accusation. The

charges were dropped. Nevertheless, Bryants reputation was significantly tarnished through the

whole ordeal. It was a long battle back, but he eventually regained his image in the media,

including winning back some sponsorships. Ironically, his performance on the basketball court

never suffered, where he continued to dominate.

In examining Bryants website in 2011, there is no hint of weakness or

embarrassment. The construct of his website is noticeably different from that of James.

Bryants main color scheme is black with subtle hints of white and grey. His nickname around

the league and through the media is the Black Mamba which is a long venomous snake. As

one of the best players in the league, he is called this because of his proficiency at attacking the

opposing team on offense and defense. The snake theme takes a prevalent role on his website. It

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is the background on the opening page and it is seen in the background on all of his related sub-

areas. Unlike James, Bryant does not seem to be concerned about appealing to or trying to win

over fans. With the rape charge having occurred eight years ago, it appears that time heals all

wounds or fans have short-term memories. His personality has remained the same for long

enough that if you like him, you like him, and if you dont, then you dont. He can push the

creative boundaries of his website and be free to express himself in a more open way without

being constrained to public judgment of his actions. The sleek design and black coloring appeals

to a more sophisticated audience.

For James, the design and content of his website is youthful. The first three

central links attached to his website all target a younger age group. Specifically, there are

cartoon characters that, if you click on them, you are brought to a page devoted to James new

animated cartoon show. There is also a link entitled Young Ballers written in a cartoon-

fashion and used to promote young basketball players, and an advertisement for his basketball

camp. Recognizing young peoples affinity for cartoons and anything funny, James uses these

devices to attract them to his site. He also recognizes that the younger fans are more comfortable

in the digital world and are easily influenced by the media and advertising. They are also

interested in making social connections. If he is able to capture the attention of the younger

market and convert them to fans, he may take one more step to improving his image. In his new

animated television show called The LeBrons, there are four main characters, all of whom are

supposed to be different personalities of James. There is kid LeBron, the athlete LeBron, the

business LeBron, and the grandpa LeBron. The plot of each episode is simple and there is

always a moral to the story. James uses this form of media to appeal to an age group that doesnt

always understand rhetoric when it is written, but can comprehend an idea when it is visually

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told. In An Overview of Rhetoric, James Herrick discusses the key characteristics of the art ofrhetoric, which he defines as the systematic study and intentional practice of effective symbolic

expression (7). James uses the video form of media to convey his rhetorical symbolism.

Viewers are meant to make the connection that if James is teaching valuable lessons in his

cartoon program, he must be a good person. His website provides a link to the show. James uses

the Young Ballers and the camp advertisement to draw in an even larger youth following. The

Young Ballers is a segment where young talented basketball players are asked a series of

questions. Their responses along with highlight tapes are posted on James website. The range

of players varies from nine-years old to seniors in high school. Viewers are meant to see young

players of the same age who they can relate to. This, in turn, should entice them to read the

interviews, watch the videos, and continue to come back to the site. Lastly, James advertises

his basketball camp that he hosts during the summer. Camps are one of the biggest activities that

young kids do during the summer. Why not learn basketball from the best? When you click the

link to the camp, the first picture that appears is in fact James sitting with a group of kids who

are wearing his camp T-shirt. Kids who see this image may want to be like those kids in the

picture who look like they are having fun. He is attempting to reshape his image by casting

himself in good light by appearing to be friendly and personable despite his larger-than-life

persona. He is often seen ignoring the media attention or being abrupt when responding to

criticism, so by showing himself in a mentoring role, he hopes to instill confidence in the viewers

that he is indeed a caring person after all. We associate kids laughing with reputable people and

by having a picture of LeBron with these kids, he stimulates or subconscious to change or

perspective of him. Moreover, the picture of James with the kids makes him appear

approachable and fun, quite the opposite from the self-centered, pompous person many thought

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he had become with his decision.

Bryant, on the other hand, utilizes different methods to attract an audience.

Bryants website is noticeably designed for the older and more advanced cyberspace viewer.

Like James, Bryant advertises his basketball camp and he posts videos to his site. However, the

camp description and videos are targeted to older viewers. For example, when you click the link

to the camp, the images are of Bryant coaching young players and teaching them the game. The

photos on James website show him having fun and laughing with the children. Instruction and

coaching are two activities that are appreciated more by adults because they understand the

mechanics and strategies of the game after years of playing it, while highlighting the fun aspects

of the game is intended to get kids excited about playing more. Im sure that Bryants camp is

just as much fun for the campers as James camp is, but the method that he uses to market his

product, is meant to appeal to the more serious player who is looking to improve his game, and

not for a five-day babysitter service. Secondly, the videos and articles that Bryant posts to his

website are designed to intrigue older viewers. He posts videos from his trips to Europe as well

as interviews and advertising spots to promote the release of his new clothing line. The content

of his videos appeal to older viewers who can appreciate the locations and magnitude of the work

hes doing abroad. The articles that he post also address important issues. For instance, he

promotes the United Way Walk. Since Bryant does not need to worry about repairing his image

at this point in his career, he is free to post and comment more freely that James would. If

Bryants website attracts young people, thats great for him, and, if it doesnt, its no skin off his

nose. James is confined to using his digital identity to portray himself as a nice guy, whereas

Bryant is comfortable enough now in his career to define himself any way he chooses. The

contrast in how they are portrayed in their digital identities is further evident in looking at the

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pictures that Bryant and James post to their websites.

Both players have lots of pictures on their websites and they use them to reinforce

their images. On James site, there is an entire section called LeBrons Phone Pics.

Throughout the collection, there is one recurring theme James is all about being relaxed and

having fun. In almost every picture, he is seen smiling and laughing. Some photos show him

goofing around backstage before shooting a commercial. Others show him interacting with little

kids, either just sitting and talking with them or playing games of basketball. There are some

photos that show him posing for photo-shoots in designer clothing, looking very professional.

The main objective of these action shots is to cast James in a positive light. James is consciously

trying to improve his image and he wants to get attention for his good deeds. By posing with

little kids and goofing around backstage, the viewer is able to get a sense of what James is like

off the court. They show that he is a real person who may not be the money-grabbing elitist

they thought he was when he left Cleveland for Miami. Cell phone pictures are very popular

amongst the younger population and by naming the photo portion of his website, LeBrons

Phone Pics, he is trying to relate to them by conveying that he takes pictures with his phone too.

And, putting aside the smiles and laughter for some photos to show James in business suits helps

convey the message that James is no longer the cocky teenager from Ohio. Instead, he is a

mature, responsible adult. However, when you do not need to worry about your image as much,

you are able to show yourself in any light you choose.

Bryant is able to use his website not only to show the pictures of him having

fun and goofing around, but also to depict him in serious situations. The majority of the photos

on Bryants website show him traveling abroad and marketing his Nike line of clothing. They

show him traveling to various places such as Istanbul, Athens, and Milan. In all of these pictures,

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avid fans of the game are swarming him. There are also several pictures of Bryant playing

basketball with little kids at charity events and camps. But, by comparison to what is on James

website, there is a significantly smaller proportion of these types of pictures. Bryants pictures

once again appeal to an older audience who can appreciate what it is like to travel to these

incredible countries. He does no need to worry about posing for pictures or making sure that he

is smiling for the camera. He is more liberated than James and freer to be himself without social

constraints.

Yet, some viewers might challenge my position that James and Bryant

manage their websites to digitally convey the images they want the public to have of them.

Some might suggest that James and Bryant arent doing any of these things with a purpose in

mind; they are simply adding to their websites what they feel is important and if it comes across

one way or another they are indifferent. The white background used by James on his web pages

could simply be because he loves the color white. The cartoons on his site could be just an

inexpensive way to advertise his new show. Bryants travel photos may be the only ones he

wishes to share publicly. The Black Mamba is just his nickname and it needed to appear

somewhere on his website. These are all claims that skeptics of my argument could make. They

could argue that the websites are not created for a specific audience. They could suggest that

they merely represent the personal preferences of the two players and nothing more. But, by

assuming nothing, arent they underestimating the power of the digital age?

William Deresiewicz wrote in his piece,Faux Friendship, that, Scanning my

Facebook page gives me, precisely, a sense of connection. Not an actual connection, just a

sense (54). By looking at Bryant and James websites we are able to do just that, only get a

sense of their true identities. Since most of us will never meet James or Bryant we rely on these

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digital identities to get to know them. Bryants approach to his website is strictly based on what

he chooses to put on, and the sophisticated design style appeals to an older audience. In contrast,

Jamess website design targets a younger audience in an attempt to win back, and maybe gain,

some fans. The Internet is a powerful place and only time will tell if these approaches to

cyberspace will pay off for these two superstars. And the debate will always rage on as the

month of November approaches: whos better?

Works Cited

Deresiewicz, William. Faux Friendship (E)dentity. Ed Stephanie Vie. Southlake, TX:

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Fountainhead Press, 2011. Print.

Herrick, James. An Overview of Rhetoric. The History and Theory of Rhetoric, 2nd ed.

New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. Print.

Kb24.com. KB24, 2010. Web. 7 Oct 2011

"Kobe Bryant." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 30 Sept.

2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. .

Lebronjames.com. Web. 7 Oct 2011.

"LeBron James." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 28 Sept.

2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. .

Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace: Identity Management in Cyberspace.

May 1996. Web. 6 Oct 2011.

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