Bryant no hero in his hometown of Philly

WASHINGTON - By the time Kobe Bryant, having changed in private from his uniform into an all-black outfit - right down to the tiny sleeve he wore atop a broken finger - walked to his Verizon Center locker to answer postgame questions Tuesday night, he'd had a memorable trip to the nation's capital.

The Lakers superstar had visited the White House twice in 24 hours, on Monday for a ceremony honoring the NBA champs and on Tuesday for a private breakfast with President Obama, who invited him back yet again for a little basketball this summer.

He'd been spotted at a chic Georgetown restaurant. He'd posed for photos in an arena hallway with singer Dionne Warwick. He'd heard the crowd of 20,173, at least half of whom it seemed were wearing his jersey, chant "M-V-P" when he stepped to the foul line.

And on exiting the court, after his workmanlike 26 points pushed L.A. to a 115-103 win over the Wizards, he responded to the mass adoration in emperor-like fashion, tossing his golden sneakers into the crowd, setting off a mad, beer-soaked scramble.

But tonight, when the Lakers visit the 76ers, Bryant will experience little of the glitz and even less of the love he's accustomed to. In the gritty hometown that loves to hate him, the emperor will be wearing no clothes.

When asked if he ever looked forward to returning to Philadelphia, where he is widely reviled as a villain of Cowboys-like proportions, you half-expected Bryant to snicker and say, "Yeah, right."

Instead, perhaps having picked up some pointers over eggs and orange juice in a 20-minute meeting with Obama that morning, he was gracious and politic.

"Every time," Bryant said. "I look forward to it every time. I get to catch up with high school classmates and friends that I still have down there. I bring them down to the game. Get a chance to see them. It's fun every time I go back."

He also gets to catch up with the city's almost irrational dislike for him.

He'll likely be booed every time he touches the ball. Fans will derisively chant "KO-BEEE" and eagerly reference their grievances: his "cut their hearts out" comment during the 2001 NBA Finals with the 76ers; his wearing a Dodgers hat during last fall's NL championship series; his Main Line roots and perceived "I've shaken the dust of this hick town and gone big time" demeanor.

And those who know him best will wonder how the relationship between a city and one of its all-time athletes could have gone so sour.