No way to say for sure, since it's impossible to tell how much the NBA rules would really hurt their game.
No offense, but the things you've just listed are true for a lot of athletes. And not all of them are as maligned as Kobe.
Kobe's list is nothing compared to other athletes.. Michael Jordan would laugh at the stuff Kobe is being criticized for.
is there any truth to the rumour mjs dad was killed as a result of mj gambling with the wrong people?
That was a car hijack. There were loads of rumors when it actually happened. The guys who were arrested didn't have any connections to gambling.