Santa Claus got booed here. So did Phillies Hall of Fame slugger Mike Schmidt. Former Eagles quarterback Norm Snead got it so bad he left town.

It came as little surprise then that when Philadelphia welcomed home one of its prodigal sons Sunday, it extended not its arms, but its finger.

Kobe Bryant may have scored 31 points in Sunday's All-Star Game. He may have led the West to a 135-120 victory. He may have upstaged Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan. He may have made one ankle-snapping, show-stopping play after another.