Kobe Bryant posted a long status update on Facebook, of all places, about why he's a douchebag:

Leadership is responsibility.

There comes a point when one must make a decision. Are YOU willing to do what it takes to push the right buttons to elevate those around you? If the answer is YES, are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? Here's where the true responsibility of being a leader lies. Sometimes you must prioritize the success of the team ahead of how your own image is perceived. The ability to elevate those around you is more than simply sharing the ball or making teammates feel a certain level of comfort. It's pushing them to find their inner beast, even if they end up resenting you for it at the time.

I'd rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that's just not reality. I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.

Of course, my interpretation may be solely mood affiliation, but he also signed his post "Mamba out" which is about as damning as any evidence you could enter in the court of public opinion.

Rafe Bartholomew theorizes the status update was addressed to Smush Parker, who Kobe savaged publicly last week. Because as you know, great leadership is calling out your teammates publicly, then following that up with a passive aggressive Facebook status update. The only part of the Mamba moniker that rings true is that Kobe is indeed a snake.