It was a moment straight out of Hollywood.
And, like most Hollywood moments, it was about as far from reality as one can get.
It was Kobe's moment, the point in the Lakers' victory over the Utah Jazz last Wednesday when the crowd chanted "Ko-be, Ko-be."
Here's how that moment was depicted in the L.A. papers:
"Even the locals were impressed," wrote Howard Beck in the Los Angeles Daily News. "By the closing minutes, as he closed in on 40 points, they were chanting 'KO-BE' from the rafters.
" 'I never thought I'd see the day after shooting those airballs (in the 1997 playoffs here) that they'd be chanting my name in this building,' he (Bryant) said."
And here's Tim Brown, writing in the Los Angeles Times: "By the end, by the time Kobe Bryant had scored another 40 points and the Lakers had knocked off their beloved Utah Jazz, the people here shouted his name.
"He had clubbed them with jump shots and turnarounds and, get this, teammates. He had pulled a tight sleeve up around his tendinitis-stricken right knee, told Phil Jackson, "Yes sir!" when the coach had asked if he could go, then went out and made his first six shots.
"He lifted a team, an organization, over 40 more minutes, and at the end he shouted, 'Rack 'em up! Rack 'em up,' as the people in the stands filled the Delta Center with the words,'Ko-BEE! Ko-BEE!' "
Pure Hollywood, baby.
And pure horseflop.
Hey, I was there, too. And here's what I saw and heard: After Kobe scored his 38th point, the "crowd" did, indeed, chant Bryant's name.
But by that point, with the Jazz hopelessly down, most of the Utah fans had vacated the premises and what was left in the stands was a lot of Laker yellow or gold or whatever they call that gosh-awful color.
So the Laker fans — and face it, there are a lot of them in these parts, including busloads of BYU students who come up sporting their headbands and wristbands and all that other cool L.A. stuff — started chanting "Ko-be" and after a few repetitions of his name, the remaining Jazz fans booed loud enough to drown them out.
Of course, it wouldn't do to mention the booing. It made for a more touching story to write it as if Jazz fans, so impressed by Bryant's performance that their stony hearts were softened, couldn't help but heap acclaim on his shiny pate. Besides, when the chanting started the potential for award-winning storylines began dancing in the L.A. sportswriters' heads, and far be it from them to let a little discordant booing ruin a good angle.
When the movie gets made, the scene will start with one fan, resplendent in Jazz colors, standing and doing a slow clap, after which the rest of the standing-room only crowd will slowly join in.
Geez, hand me a hankie.
Now, some will want to say that Jazz fans really did chant Bryant's name. But if that were so, why then did they cheer raucously when moments later he missed the first of two free throws, which seemed to indicate he would fall short of yet another 40-point effort?
Why did they cheer again seconds later when, after Bryant again held the ball long enough to get fouled, he missed the first of two free throws before finally cashing in his 40th point?
Look, those weren't Jazz fans chanting. Jazz fans don't like Bryant, never have. They think he's cocky and . . . well, a Laker.
Jazz fans no doubt were able to admire Bryant's effort, which truly was impressive. I've seen a lot of NBA games, and that's one I'll never forget.
But that chanting stuff?
Strictly L.A.
E-mail: rich@desnews.com