IMO, Kobe basically admitted it, under a 2017 understanding of rape, where you don’t have to do it “on purpose” to rape someone.
He basically says “I thought it was consensual and she clearly didn’t and I apologize to her, her family, and my family... but I didn’t rape her!” But that who denial was based on HIS interpretation of what was going down and not hers.
Basically, I think the 2017 standard for rape is non-sensical to some extent for this very reason of the guy can’t be in the woman’s head.
Maybe he should have looked for non verbal cues as he choked her out or something?!