Bryant Talks About Relationship With Shaq, Mora Objects To Mike Rice’s Coaching Tactics And Lopez Adds A Comical Twist When Recounting His Round At Augusta  

 

LOS ANGELES (April 10, 2013) – JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME continues its second season with guests Kobe Bryant, George Lopez, Jason and Randy Sklar, Jim Mora, Jason Whitlock and Scott Fujita.  The episode is scheduled to air Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®.

 

Comedic icon and golf enthusiast George Lopez sits down with Rome for a one-on-one interview to talk playing at Augusta National, Tiger Woods and his beloved L.A. Lakers. 

 

Also providing comedic relief are Jason and Randy Sklar who effortlessly rap about amusing sports headlines.

 

Taking part with Rome in the free forum discussion is UCLA head coach Jim Mora, award-winning sports journalist Jason Whitlock, and NFL Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl Champion Scott Fujita to discuss the recent firing of Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice and reaction of players to gay athletes and their presence in NFL locker rooms.

 

Plus, five-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist  and all-time leading scorer in Lakers history Kobe Bryant joins the program via satellite to submit himself to Rome’s 10 Questions.

 

When Rome asks Bryant about how the wound between him and Shaquille O’Neal healed over time, Bryant responds, “I joke about it a lot with him and I always mess around with him. I tell him it’s a lot easier for me to get over it because I won more championships than he did.”

 

JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME, in its second season on SHOWTIME, airs Wednesdays with multiple replays each week on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME^® and availability on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND.  

 

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

 

One on One with George Lopez about being at Augusta National:

 

GEORGE LOPEZ: I was in the past champions’ locker room and Phil Mickelson was on the phone and they asked him to use the phone outside. That’s how stringent it is.

 

ROME: How about Tiger Woods, would they do him like that?

 

GEORGE LOPEZ: Well, yes. I believe they would probably say listen man, you know you can’t invite a waitress to be your caddy. She can’t wear the Perkins bib.

 

GEORGE LOPEZ on L.A. LAKERS: We got [Mike] D’Antoni. That fool’s got to go…We need Phil back.

 

Free forum discussion with Mora, Fujita and Whitlock:

 

JIM ROME: One of the big stories of the month is Rutgers coach Mike Rice getting fired for being abusive with his players. I’m going to say right now that he got what he deserved… My question is this: Is he the only coach doing it or is he the only one that got caught?

 

JIM MORA: Well I’m sure there are other coaches doing it to a certain extent. Look, our job as college coaches is to build these young men up, teach them how to be responsible adults, teach them accountability. Now sometimes you have to break them down a little bit to do that but when it becomes verbal abuse, physical abuse, homophobic slurs like he was throwing out, I just don’t think that’s how you gain trust with your athletes. I always tell my players: Look its okay to be a hardass but don’t be an asshole.

 

ROME: What’s going to happen when a player comes out? What’s going to happen in the locker room?

 

SCOTT FUJITA: Trust me, the coming out of a player will create much bigger waves outside the locker room than inside. I know that for a fact. I have plenty of teammates who have moral objections to homosexuality in general but what they say to me is, ‘Yeah that’s my teammate and I can accept him as my teammate because it’s about winning games.’ That’s what it comes down to. Again we spend so much time worrying about when this is going to happen to me the focus is on the wrong place. To me what the focus should be about is just trying to do our best to foster an inclusive atmosphere at the workplace where, if and when a player does decide to come out, he will feel comfortable to do so. Right now I’d love to go to tell a player, listen we have your back, the player will support you, your union will support you, the NFL league office will support you, and I can promise you that. If and when the player’s ready everyone else will be ready. [Video link to this part of the discussion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWfBa0jw4wI]

 

 

Top highlight from Rome’s Quick Hits:

 

ROME: Memo to all you NFLers: I get it you all know what you’ve signed up for just as I get that you’re all gladiators.  And hell yes we are all entertained, but the league is trying to prevent you from getting your brain matter scrambled. Why won’t you let it? I’m talking about that new rule which prohibits running backs from leading with the crown of their helmets…No one says you can’t bash dudes with your bonnets.  They are just saying you can concuss dudes with your crowns. Safeties will still be destroyed.  Fantasy points will still be scored.  And your bloodlust will still be fed. But there’s going to come a time when somebody leaves the field in a body bag and Roger Goodell is doing everything he can to prolong the inevitable. He’s not trying to put flags on you guys.  The league is trying not to put tags on your toes.

 

 

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