KOBE BRYANT, DECENT HUMAN BEING: I love talking smack about Kobe as much as the next Laker-hater, but then he goes and proves himself a good person:

Steve Tyson met Kobe Bryant last weekend in an Italian restaurant in San Antonio—just walked up and stuck out his hand—and Bryant smiled and did the same.

For a few minutes, while Bryant's bodyguards ate, Steve and Kobe talked, about Gary Payton, Steve's favorite player, and about the senior prom Steve was headed to, and about the playoff series against the local team, the San Antonio Spurs, and Steve hardly coughed at all.

They took a picture, Steve and his date, Megan, and Kobe Bryant, who laughed and shook Steve's hand one more time and wished him luck. Steve returned the sentiment, and hardly coughed at all, and everybody said goodbye.

Bryant could not have known that Steve Tyson had all but sneaked away from Room 964 at Wilford Hall Medical Center on the Lackland Air Force Base a few hours earlier. Tyson had disconnected the IV bag above his head, then coiled the line beneath the sleeve of his tuxedo shirt, told a nurse he was going and left.

Via the LA Examiner. And yes, this is three links to the LA Times in a row. Either they're hitting on all cylinders sports-wise today or I'm just being lazy. Take yer pick.