As NBA teams around the league rush to SoCal to prostrate themselves before Kobe, ESPN columnist Frank Hughes wonders aloud about Bryant’s rumored interest in the Denver Nuggets. “Could it be that [Denver GM Kiki] Vandeweghe, in his attempt to garner positive public relations for his own organization…has unwittingly contaminated a potential jury pool of Bryant’s ‘peers?’ Could it be that Bryant, whether intentionally or unintentionally, either on the advice of his lawyers, agent or neither, is playing a card that may have desired affects [sic] beyond the basketball court?” Hmm. That sounds entirely too conspiratorial to me. But, then again, there’s a reason Team Kobe gets paid the big bucks…