Daily Recap of Today’s Soap Operas

As the Ball Turns: Karl receives shocking news, Kobe receives even more shocking news

Michael and Juanita Jordan are in town for an NBA all-star game. Karl Malone, dressed in cowboy hat and boots, walks up to Michael and Juanita and gives Juanita a hug. Michael is uncomfortable with this and excuses himself.

Juanita asks Karl if his injured knee has healed. He says he feels good; he just needs to decide whether to return to the Lakers or sign with another team. Juanita asks him if he really wants to play with Kobe. “You know how he is. He’s gotta be the the star,” she tells Karl. She suggests that Karl just might want to test his friendship with Kobe if he’s considering spending his last shot at a championship with someone who’s got such a bad track record. “Say one bad thing to Vanessa and see what happens,” she says as she walks away. Karl is left pondering her comment.

Coach Joe Bryant stands on the sideline at his team’s practice. His cellphone rings and he steps off the court into a hallway to take the call after he looks at the caller-ID. “What do you want from me? I told you never to call me again, haven’t you done enough already?”

A woman speaks on her cellphone in a dark corner in a bar. She says that Kobe’s lawyers are lowballing her and if he can’t do anything about it, “I’ll go to Kobe’s house and tell him who paid me off.”

Vanessa Bryant sits by herself at a small table at the All Star event. Karl walks up to the table. She looks at his cowboy outfit with total disbelief and asks him, “Hey Cowboy, what are you hunting?” Karl is offended by her attitude and says, with a sly grin on his face, “I’m hunting for little Mexican girls.” Vanessa had a puzzled look on her face. Karl sits down at the table still grinning and asks, “Do you like me?” Vanessa is now feeling uncomfortable. She answers that she likes him as a friend then quickly gets up and leaves the table.

Joe Bryant is driving in his car and looks at a slip of paper with an address on it. He checks the street addresses and drives up to a local motel. He sees a woman drive out of the motel, recognizes her and drives off after her.

Karl leaves the All Star event and is walking to his car. Kobe, very angry, walks up to him. He accuses Karl of hitting on his wife and using a racial slur. He tells Karl, “I can’t believe you hit on my wife. How could you do that?” Karl protests that he was only kidding around, he didn’t mean anything by it, but Kobe is furious. He puts his finger in Karl’s face and says, “I’m gonna mess you up if you every come anywhere near her again,” then storms off. Just then, Kaye, Karl’s wife, walks up. “What was that all about?” she asks. “It’s no big deal,” Karl says, “Kobe’s mad because I was teasing Vanessa, that’s all.”

Still at the All Star event, Michael walks up to Juanita and tells her that he has an unexpected business meeting. His bodyguard will take her back to the hotel and he will meet her later for dinner. He gives her a kiss on the cheek and leaves. Juanita, angry, picks up her phone and says, “Follow him.”

Kaye is in her kitchen. She dials the phone and asks to speak to Vanessa. Instead, Kobe picks up the phone. He is still furious. He yells into the phone, “What kind of man is he? He hits on his friend’s wife. He hits on women when he’s on the road. How can I be friends with someone like that?! Tell him our friendship is over.”

Kobe gets off the phone and goes into the living room where a local television sportswriter is setting up a live interview with him about his new role as team leader. Kobe tells the reporter that he’s pretty hopeful about this season, things are going well but he thinks it’s not fair to his teammates that Karl hasn’t made his decision to return yet. His teammates are working really hard for him and they’re having to look over their shoulder and wonder if Karl is going to take their place on the team if and when he comes back.

Karl arrives home after his workout and Kaye is waiting for him. She yells at him, “You are still seeing other women despite everything you told me. I cannot believe you lied to me again.” Karl is dumbfounded. Kaye continues, “Kobe says you play around when you’re on the road and you hit on Vanessa.” Kaye is upset and angry at the same time, she is almost in tears. Karl comforts her and reminds her that it’s not the first time Kobe has tried to take someone down with him. “Who are you going to believe, him or me,” Karl says. Kaye tells Karl, “I don’t know but Vanessa is my friend and you’d better go over there and fix this up else you are in a whole lot of trouble.”

Michael Jordan drives up to the same motel and walks up to the clerk. He asks if Miss Jones is still registered. The clerk says she just checked out. He says he was in a real hurry and seemed pretty mad. She muttered something about “going where the rich people live.” As Michael Jordan pulls out of the motel, another car drives up and follows after him

Karl Malone’s agent Dwight walks into the gym where Karl is finishing his workout. He tells Karl that Kobe has called him out in a television interview. He tells Karl that this is his opportunity to sign with San Antonio. No one will accuse him of chasing a ring now, even if it is the best team in the league. He can’t possibly return to the Lakers after what Kobe said about him.

A woman drives into the circular driveway of a huge beautiful house. Joe Bryant drives up after her. Joe gets out of the car and runs up to her pleading, “You can’t do this to me. You can’t do this to my son. Haven’t you already ruined his life?”

The cameraman starts shooting. Just as Kobe is yelling at him to turn his camera off, Michael Jordan turns into the driveway and gets out of his car. The reporter’s jaw drops to the ground. Michael runs up to Joe Bryant and the woman at yells at Joe, “I told you I’d take care of this! What are you doing?”

Vanessa runs up to the door, sees Joe and Michael and then sees the woman and is in a total state of shock. She runs down the stairs and starts attacking the woman. The cameraman gets closer and the reporter starts reporting the three ring circus in front of him. “And now Michael Jordan has joined the fight! Joe Bryant and Michael Jordan are trying to pull Vanessa and the alleged rape victim apart. Vanessa is pulling her hair, the woman is kicking…..”

Two security guards run out of the house and join Joe Bryant and Michael in trying to separate the two women.

Juanita drives into the driveway, gets out of her car and runs up to Michael. She starts to yell at him about seeing another woman then sees Vanessa and freezes.

Having heard all the yelling, Karl runs into the driveway and looks at the scene.

Michael yells at Juanita, “What are you doing here?” Vanessa, still held by the bodyguards, yells at Kobe, “What is that woman doing here?” Juanita looks at Karl and says, “What are you doing here?” Kobe, in complete disgust, now sitting on the steps with his face in his hands, looks at the crowd and says, “Even my own father hates me. Everybody hates me. What did I do that was so wrong?” The camera is in his face.

Joe walks up to Kobe. “Kobe, I love you. You are my son. I was trying to protect you. I knew you married too young but you wouldn’t listen to me. I thought if I paid her off to drop the rape charges, you’d be able to go on with your life and rebuild your reputation.”

Kobe looks back at his father and say, “I don’t need any help. Why does everyone think I need help and what is he doing here?” Kobe points at Michael Jordan. “Kobe, Michael is your father. He had an affair with your mother and I decided to adopt you and raise you as my own. He gave me the money to pay off the woman. We were just trying to help you.”

Juanita looks at Michael with horror then breaks into tears. Michael turns to her and says, “Honey, it was before we were married. I didn’t want you to know. I was embarrassed and you’ve been through so much already.” Juanita wipes her tears away and says, “I’m embarrassed too. You know that Karl and I had an affair but what you didn’t know is that we had a child.” Karl’s jaw drops to the ground. Juanita looks at Vanessa, “I never told Karl and I thought it was better if you didn’t know so you would think you were being raised by your real mother.” She looked at Karl, “I’m sorry I tried to come between you and Kobe, I thought Vanessa might somehow find out if the two of you were close friends.”

Vanessa walks up to Juanita and hugs her, Karl joins them. Michael walks up to Kobe and hugs him, Joe Bryant joins them. The woman, now with tears in her eyes, the cameraman and the reporter are left standing to the side. The reporter signs off, “That’s it Ladies and Gentleman, signing off live from the Kobe Bryant mansion. This truly is the soap opera to end all soap operas.”