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CNN Live Sunday

What Should We Do To Prepare Sports Stars For Celebrity?

Aired July 20, 2003 - 16:21   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.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, what warning bells should ring for athletes about celebrity when even a sports icon as respected as Kobe Bryant falls from grace? Joining us now to talk more about this, Jack Llewellyn, a sports psychologist, a consultant with the Atlanta Braves, an organization in our happy little AOL/Time Warner family. Jack, thanks a lot for joining us here today.
JACK LLEWELLYN, SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST, CONSULTANT: Sure.

CALLEBS: Let's talk about Kobe. I saw an interview that one of our correspondents, Frank Buckley did with someone who reports on the Lakers out there. Kobe travels with two of his own personal bodyguards. When he checks into a hotel, he checks in under an assumed name. You've got to think when guys worth hundreds of millions of dollars go from city to city women through themselves at them. What can these guys do to prepare themselves? Kobe's 24 years old.

LLEWELLYN: Well, I think -- it's a terrible misconception that when you give a guy millions you buy maturity with that. He's still a baby. I mean, he's 24, he's still maturing. But I think teams need to do a much better job on preparing athletes for these situations. We talk about communicable diseases, we talk about alcohol, we talk about drugs, we talk about associating with different kinds of people. But we don't really approach that area. And we need to do a much, much better job in getting these guys ready, because all of a sudden they're celebrities and, you know, they're going to be confronted with things that none of us are confronted with.

CALLEBS: Yes, the easy thing is saying what to do. Now, how do you get someone prepared like this who, unlike Kobe, who his father played in European ball and he grew up over there, a very traveled individual. But a lot of these guys go in, a lot of them come from pretty meager backgrounds. They suddenly get a lot of money and they're not used to having money. How do you prepare them?

LLEWELLYN: Well, we've signed guys before it was their first night away from home, when they're 18, 19 years old. So, I think again, it's an education process and you use people who have been through those kinds of things, and everybody who's been in the game -- any game for any length of time has been confronted with different situations, and you talk it through, and then you continue after preseason training.

It's a season-long process when things come up, you sit down and you talk about it. And you educate younger players. Because it's -- you know, that's an issue that's not going to go away. Here's a great guy. I mean, by all reports, a tremendous guy. And who knows what happened? We don't know. But you create as...

CALLEBS: They are still allegations, after all, we should point out.

LLEWELLYN: Yes, they are. But when you give athletes so much, you almost create a feeling of invincibility. And so we've got to get through that facade and...

CALLEBS: I want you to talk about this. Everybody saw Kobe Bryant and his wife hold a news conference Friday night. Were you, A, surprised that he did that, and from a psychologist's standpoint tell us about his actions. It appeared he had a very dry mouth. The words didn't come easy. He appeared to be struggling, but speaking from the heart, unless he is an amazing actor.

LLEWELLYN: No, no. I thought he was tremendous. I mean, in order to start the healing process with them. And they seemed to been a very happy couple. Then they had to talk about it. And it's got to be very difficult, not only to do it one on one, but to do it in national -- on national television. It had to be tough. It's very positive he did it, and hopefully they'll get counseling and move -- you know, move ahead.

CALLEBS: I'm sure Kobe Bryant, his family, as well as the alleged victim, they have several long, hard, difficult weeks ahead of them.

LLEWELLYN: Yeah, I think, you know, everybody talks about well, the Lakers this, the -- it's not about the Lakers. It's about him personally and getting his life together.

CALLEBS: Jack Llewellyn, sports psychologist, consultant with the Braves, thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate your insight.

LLEWELLYN: Thanks. Appreciate it.

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 July 20, 2003 - 16:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, what warning bells should ring for athletes about celebrity when even a sports icon as respected as Kobe Bryant falls from grace? Joining us now to talk more about this, Jack Llewellyn, a sports psychologist, a consultant with the Atlanta Braves, an organization in our happy little AOL/Time Warner family. Jack, thanks a lot for joining us here today.
JACK LLEWELLYN, SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST, CONSULTANT: Sure.

CALLEBS: Let's talk about Kobe. I saw an interview that one of our correspondents, Frank Buckley did with someone who reports on the Lakers out there. Kobe travels with two of his own personal bodyguards. When he checks into a hotel, he checks in under an assumed name. You've got to think when guys worth hundreds of millions of dollars go from city to city women through themselves at them. What can these guys do to prepare themselves? Kobe's 24 years old.

LLEWELLYN: Well, I think -- it's a terrible misconception that when you give a guy millions you buy maturity with that. He's still a baby. I mean, he's 24, he's still maturing. But I think teams need to do a much better job on preparing athletes for these situations. We talk about communicable diseases, we talk about alcohol, we talk about drugs, we talk about associating with different kinds of people. But we don't really approach that area. And we need to do a much, much better job in getting these guys ready, because all of a sudden they're celebrities and, you know, they're going to be confronted with things that none of us are confronted with.

CALLEBS: Yes, the easy thing is saying what to do. Now, how do you get someone prepared like this who, unlike Kobe, who his father played in European ball and he grew up over there, a very traveled individual. But a lot of these guys go in, a lot of them come from pretty meager backgrounds. They suddenly get a lot of money and they're not used to having money. How do you prepare them?

LLEWELLYN: Well, we've signed guys before it was their first night away from home, when they're 18, 19 years old. So, I think again, it's an education process and you use people who have been through those kinds of things, and everybody who's been in the game -- any game for any length of time has been confronted with different situations, and you talk it through, and then you continue after preseason training.

It's a season-long process when things come up, you sit down and you talk about it. And you educate younger players. Because it's -- you know, that's an issue that's not going to go away. Here's a great guy. I mean, by all reports, a tremendous guy. And who knows what happened? We don't know. But you create as...

CALLEBS: They are still allegations, after all, we should point out.

LLEWELLYN: Yes, they are. But when you give athletes so much, you almost create a feeling of invincibility. And so we've got to get through that facade and...

CALLEBS: I want you to talk about this. Everybody saw Kobe Bryant and his wife hold a news conference Friday night. Were you, A, surprised that he did that, and from a psychologist's standpoint tell us about his actions. It appeared he had a very dry mouth. The words didn't come easy. He appeared to be struggling, but speaking from the heart, unless he is an amazing actor.

LLEWELLYN: No, no. I thought he was tremendous. I mean, in order to start the healing process with them. And they seemed to been a very happy couple. Then they had to talk about it. And it's got to be very difficult, not only to do it one on one, but to do it in national -- on national television. It had to be tough. It's very positive he did it, and hopefully they'll get counseling and move -- you know, move ahead.

CALLEBS: I'm sure Kobe Bryant, his family, as well as the alleged victim, they have several long, hard, difficult weeks ahead of them.

LLEWELLYN: Yeah, I think, you know, everybody talks about well, the Lakers this, the -- it's not about the Lakers. It's about him personally and getting his life together.

CALLEBS: Jack Llewellyn, sports psychologist, consultant with the Braves, thanks very much for joining us. We appreciate your insight.

LLEWELLYN: Thanks. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com