Dr Boyce: Kobe Bryant's Climb Back to the Top

Kobe Bryant started his career with the LA Lakers as a tremendous athlete with a valuable brand. His stock rose like an elevator, as Madison Avenue loved him as much as Laker fans. Then life took a strange twist. First, there was the nasty departure of Shaquille O'neal, which instantly reduced Kobe and the Lakers to "also-rans" in the NBA playoffs. A man who was used to winning championships was reduced to simply playing for pay.

Off the court, things got even worse. In 2003, Kobe was accused of a horrifically embarrassing sexual assault, a case that was later dropped. But even though the charges were dropped, the case still had a lasting impact on Bryant's reputation: Sponsors ran the other way and everyone wondered if Kobe might turn into another "coulda, woulda, shoulda" black athlete.

But he persisted. The Lakers got a little bit better every year, with that improvement culminating in what some believe to be Kobe's first "real championship" this year; a title without the boost of a dominant big man. For the first time, the Lakers are champions under Kobe's watch. He has proven that he is more than a replica of Anfernee Hardaway.

More impressively is the fact that Bryant has rebuilt his tarnished brand. In spite of the fact that he admitted to adultery, and even beyond the shocking details of his encounter with the woman in Colorado, Bryant maintained his position as a family man and hard working athletic warrior. This consistency kept his spotlight from getting any dimmer than it had already become, and allowed him to use his athletic focus to overcome his personal challenges.

Kobe Bryant Pics

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory following Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Bryant had 30 points and six assists as Los Angeles went on a 16-0 second-quarter run to defeat the Orlando Magic 99-86 for their 15th National Basketball Association title. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory with teammate Derek Fisher (C) in the closing moments of NBA Finals Game 5 against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory following Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles on court in the closing moments of Game 5 in the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory in the closing moments of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant (C) of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory with teammate Pau Gasol (top R) following Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory NBA legend Bill Russell (R) following Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates victory with NBA legend Bill Russell (R) following Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena on June 14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers won the National Basketball Association championships defeating Orlando 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. Series MVP Bryant had 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. AFP PHOTO / Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Now Kobe has risen back to the top of the entertainment empire, ranking number 10 on the Forbes list of Highest Paid Celebrities. For right or wrong, Kobe Bryant is a household name again, and no longer the man that people once wanted to keep away from their daughters.

Today, I talked about the Bryant brand and the brand of the black male athlete with Dr. Fritz Polite of The University of Tennessee. Dr. Polite is the Director of The Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Diversity in Sport and one of the world's leading experts on brand building and the state of the black athlete in America. Click here to listen to the conversation!

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, "Black American Money." For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered directly to your email, please click here.