Some say this is all damage control, thanks to that sexual assault case in Colorado, in which Bryant was acquitted of criminal charges and settled the civil suit out of court. Could be. But it doesn't seem rehearsed. When he was 19, he air-balled two shots in Salt Lake when the Jazz eliminated the Lakers from the 1997 playoffs. Asked in a press conference last week if he remembered those shots, he said good-naturedly, "Yeah. Horrible experience. Thanks for bringing it up again."

Everyone laughed. It was a genuinely funny moment. So was Wednesday, when a reporter asked if he thought he could get up high enough on a dunk, due to his sore back. He said he wasn't sure and that he "felt like Luke Walton" — who himself had missed a dunk. Laughter erupted again.

That's not to say Bryant is perfect. By his own admission, he cheated on his wife in Colorado. Not smart. Still, Michael Jordan got caught after cheating on his wife, too. Bryant can annoy people with his "smoking gun" gestures, but does anyone recall MJ holding aloft his shooting arm after burning the Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals?

Sure, Bryant attempts a lot of shots; so did Jordan.

Does he get favorable treatment by the refs? Of course.

So did Jordan.

Bryant even went down the stretch of Wednesday's game doing nothing but passing.

Not even MJ did that.

Bryant made some stupid mistakes in his personal life. But he is well-spoken and agreeable. He's also the best player on the planet. In terms of comportment, competitiveness and overall savoir faire, he's a lot like you-know-who.

You know that saying "Everyone loves a winner"?

It's true.

It just gets complicated for people when he plays for someone else's team.

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com