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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Brenda L. Thomas
Aired August 02, 2003 - 07:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant is getting unwanted attention since being accused of sexual assault. He says it was consensual sex. Still, the case has led many people to wonder just how sexually charged pro-athletes are off the court.
Brenda L. Thomas wrote the book called "Threesome: Where Seduction, Power and Basketball Collide."
She is a former personal assistant to NBA All Star Stephon Marbury.
Thanks so much for being with us, Brenda.
We certainly appreciate it.
This is not a new topic. I mean I think people often equate folks who have money -- and we know that these people make a whole lot of money -- with this type of behavior. Not always fair.
Does this stuff really go on? I mean are women really just waiting for them, you know, when they get off the court?
BRENDA L. THOMAS, AUTHOR, "THREESOME...": Yes, they are. And everywhere they go. Women tend to -- some women follow these athletes. Some women are paid to be around these athletes. There's a different -- there's a lot of different levels of women who are, we consider groupies.
COLLINS: What do you mean by levels?
THOMAS: Well, we always tend to think that the women who are groupies are women we find in the lobbies jumping up around, looking like the girls on the videos. But that's just the lower level of those.
You have women who kind of follow them from city to city. And then there's a whole upper crust of women who you would not expect to be groupies. These are women who may have high profile jobs, but who cater to these athletes' needs when they visit different cities. They may travel with them. And you would never know that they were with the athlete.
COLLINS: We know that Kobe Bryant, for the most part, had a pretty nice image for the public.
Were you surprised when the D.A. actually charged him? THOMAS: No, not at all, because I think the image that he had is what the basketball companies have sold us, what the NBA has sold us, telling us this is the image we want you to see of Kobe Bryant. He is the next Michael Jordan. And so we believe in that image and which causes us to say oh, Kobe couldn't have done that. When why couldn't Kobe have done it? He really is just a man and, you know, when you have a man and you add millions of dollars and you give him all this exposure and then you add on, give, you know, all this power, immediately they believe they are entitled to things that the regular man is not.
COLLINS: Obviously it's certainly not saying that it's to be expected, but I'm wondering how much time does the NBA then actually spend on building these images and trying to tell the public, hey, you know, this is a really good guy character wise? I mean how do they go about doing that?
THOMAS: Well, they go about it in conjunction with the shoe companies because, you know, the Nikes, the Reeboks, you know, they want to sell this to our children. I mean recently Kobe did a commercial where he has his shirt off, he's sweating, you know, the whole, you know, he's showing all his muscles. And NBA is the most watched sport where you see the most of the skin. You know, these guys, you know, they have on tank tops. You see the tattoos. You know, they are totally exposed.
COLLINS: Are they sex symbols?
THOMAS: Oh, yes, and that's what -- I mean it's sex and money, is what the NBA is all about, you know. And in rookie camp they teach these guys, you know, they have a class to tell them what to expect, you know, with women and, you know, how people will try to take advantage of them. But it's nothing like what they really learn. I mean the other athletes kind of give them a sort of, you know, introduce them to that underbelly. So I mean it's right there for them for their taking.
COLLINS: In putting together your book, what was the most surprising thing to you?
THOMAS: How, I guess, one, that as a woman, to believe and to see what these women will give of themselves to these athletes. And, two, their entourages, just to be able to say I've been with this athlete. It surprised me that it really isn't about money for a lot of women. And it surprises me also that athletes that that they have so much power, you know what I mean, like I am an icon, like nothing can touch me. That is surprising to me.
COLLINS: It's unfortunate. So not about money, more about the bragging rights?
THOMAS: Right.
COLLINS: All right, Brenda L. Thomas, author of "Threesome," thanks so much for being with us today.
We appreciate it.
THOMAS: Thanks for having me.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 2, 2003 - 07:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant is getting unwanted attention since being accused of sexual assault. He says it was consensual sex. Still, the case has led many people to wonder just how sexually charged pro-athletes are off the court.
Brenda L. Thomas wrote the book called "Threesome: Where Seduction, Power and Basketball Collide."
She is a former personal assistant to NBA All Star Stephon Marbury.
Thanks so much for being with us, Brenda.
We certainly appreciate it.
This is not a new topic. I mean I think people often equate folks who have money -- and we know that these people make a whole lot of money -- with this type of behavior. Not always fair.
Does this stuff really go on? I mean are women really just waiting for them, you know, when they get off the court?
BRENDA L. THOMAS, AUTHOR, "THREESOME...": Yes, they are. And everywhere they go. Women tend to -- some women follow these athletes. Some women are paid to be around these athletes. There's a different -- there's a lot of different levels of women who are, we consider groupies.
COLLINS: What do you mean by levels?
THOMAS: Well, we always tend to think that the women who are groupies are women we find in the lobbies jumping up around, looking like the girls on the videos. But that's just the lower level of those.
You have women who kind of follow them from city to city. And then there's a whole upper crust of women who you would not expect to be groupies. These are women who may have high profile jobs, but who cater to these athletes' needs when they visit different cities. They may travel with them. And you would never know that they were with the athlete.
COLLINS: We know that Kobe Bryant, for the most part, had a pretty nice image for the public.
Were you surprised when the D.A. actually charged him? THOMAS: No, not at all, because I think the image that he had is what the basketball companies have sold us, what the NBA has sold us, telling us this is the image we want you to see of Kobe Bryant. He is the next Michael Jordan. And so we believe in that image and which causes us to say oh, Kobe couldn't have done that. When why couldn't Kobe have done it? He really is just a man and, you know, when you have a man and you add millions of dollars and you give him all this exposure and then you add on, give, you know, all this power, immediately they believe they are entitled to things that the regular man is not.
COLLINS: Obviously it's certainly not saying that it's to be expected, but I'm wondering how much time does the NBA then actually spend on building these images and trying to tell the public, hey, you know, this is a really good guy character wise? I mean how do they go about doing that?
THOMAS: Well, they go about it in conjunction with the shoe companies because, you know, the Nikes, the Reeboks, you know, they want to sell this to our children. I mean recently Kobe did a commercial where he has his shirt off, he's sweating, you know, the whole, you know, he's showing all his muscles. And NBA is the most watched sport where you see the most of the skin. You know, these guys, you know, they have on tank tops. You see the tattoos. You know, they are totally exposed.
COLLINS: Are they sex symbols?
THOMAS: Oh, yes, and that's what -- I mean it's sex and money, is what the NBA is all about, you know. And in rookie camp they teach these guys, you know, they have a class to tell them what to expect, you know, with women and, you know, how people will try to take advantage of them. But it's nothing like what they really learn. I mean the other athletes kind of give them a sort of, you know, introduce them to that underbelly. So I mean it's right there for them for their taking.
COLLINS: In putting together your book, what was the most surprising thing to you?
THOMAS: How, I guess, one, that as a woman, to believe and to see what these women will give of themselves to these athletes. And, two, their entourages, just to be able to say I've been with this athlete. It surprised me that it really isn't about money for a lot of women. And it surprises me also that athletes that that they have so much power, you know what I mean, like I am an icon, like nothing can touch me. That is surprising to me.
COLLINS: It's unfortunate. So not about money, more about the bragging rights?
THOMAS: Right.
COLLINS: All right, Brenda L. Thomas, author of "Threesome," thanks so much for being with us today.
We appreciate it.
THOMAS: Thanks for having me.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
