Kobe Bryant: Mad for Plaid

 
During the regular season, when TCL was working on a story that involved attending a Nets game (hack-cough-choke), we ran into THE Darryl Dawkins climbing out of his Rolls behind Izod Center. Wearing a billowy silk top and trousers, all a distressing shade of fushia, Dawkins may have been trying out a new nickname -- Raspberry Thunder.

It was just the sort of, um, colorful outfit that reminds us that Mr. Thunder came of age in the mid-70s -- smacked upside the head by monochrome leisure suits, "Saturday Night Fever"/"Superfly," and Walt "Clyde" Frazier.

Why did this image crop up from out of the ... well, pink? "Black Mamba" has gone mad for plaid.

We would linger a little longer on the wrongness of this fashion outing, particularly how The Kobester looks less "Shaft" and more Hopelessly Nerdy Sports Announcer. Also, how Bryant just doesn't have the strong features, personality nor bigger-than-life size to carry off such a bold pattern.

But that might be a teensy bit mean, considering he likely "dressed up" for this occasion and not to impress reporters or lil ol' TCL at the Lakers' post-game presser.